Brother From The Other Mother
by NaughtyVamptress
Summary: Edward’s love for Bella has always been obsessive. What if a stranger’s sudden appearance pushes that obsession to the edge? What chain of events led this stranger into the Cullen family's lives? Lots of family secrets await to be uncovered!
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

Brother from the Other Mother

By: Kinkyfangz & NaughtyVamptress

**Prologue**

"I'm going to kill Jacob Black."

The words escaped my mouth before I had a chance to hide them away in my '_secret place'_ like I've done so many times before…the place where I bury violent thoughts that ravage my mind when I'm uncontrolled…when my higher self wrestles with voices of the lower me- Yes…_my most secret place._

_Good. No one heard me. _

Hiding here in the shadows, listening to my angel laugh at another one of his _**witty**_ remarks, is more than I can bear. I can't breathe. Every ethereal giggle from those supple lips is like a gut punch to my stomach.

_Breathe Edward. Relax._

_Not here. Not yet._

_Later._

_************_

_Ahh…My _Bella.

_Mine_…an angel that relinquished heaven to grace our presence here on earth.

She is only supposed to laugh like that for me. Her eyes…those beautiful chocolate orbs…are only supposed to light up for _**MY**_ benefit…not _HIS_. How could she possibly enjoy his company? He's nothing but a tramp…a DOG!!! _**Like his father!!**_ He just wants to _USE_ her…gorge himself on her purity, her innocence, and then toss her away. How can she stand there with that angelic smile across her flawless face…hanging on his every word?

I have done everything…EVERYTHING…to win her love!

…_I will never deserve this perfect creature_…I accept that.

_I know it._

But still…she _**IS**_ mine!! Only _**I**_ know what's best for her. Only _**I**_ know how best to take care of her…to protect her…to please her. She _belongs_ to ME!!!

Look at him standing there with a triumphant smirk on his face…pleasuring himself in her beauty. Jacob Black. That common _**thief**_...is trying to steal _her away._

_MY Bella_…my life…the reason for my existence!!

How _DARE_ he!!!

Doesn't he know what I'd _DO_ to him? Doesn't he understand the depth of love I have for her? The things I would do to KEEP her love? No. Of course…he couldn't possibly understand…no one could…which is why I warned him before. I warned him to stay away from her...to keep his distance. To do otherwise…would end badly for everyone…especially him.

I even went to Emmett. I begged him to get rid of Jacob…for the sake of _OUR_ family.

Yes…Emmett. My brother.

My step-brother to be exact - My betrayer!!!

I believe "Judas" is the better name.

So close…like blood brothers. We were different in every way possible, but closer than any two brothers could hope to be. That is…until Emmett allowed himself to be sucked in by _Jacob's_ treachery. That outsider!

Hmpt! And to think…Emmett is supposed to be the strong one!

It has only been a few weeks since Jacob Black pushed himself into our lives…since our family has been torn apart by his very presence...since Bella left me.

In the beginning, it was Emmett that suffered the most by this intrusion. I tried to be a good brother…to support Emmett the way a brother should be supported…even when he rejected my help. I was ALWAYS there for him…looking out for his best interest.

Why wasn't he there for me?

When I needed him most…Emmett…my own brother…turned his back on me!!!

If only I could have spoken to Carlisle before it escalated this far.

No.

Impossible.

Carlisle would never have listened to me either. How could he?

_Why_ would _**HE**_…of all people in this equation…pick me over Jacob?

He wouldn't.

But that doesn't matter now. Not anymore. Not when I'm so close to ending this ordeal.

************************

_Another giggle? _

_Stop. Making. Her. Laugh!!! _

_What could possibly be so damned funny!!_

_No! No, no, no, no. Don't lose it. Not now. Not like this. Stay focused Edward! _

_Okay. _

_I'm good._

_Just please...don't let him touch her. As long as he doesn't soil her sweet-smelling flesh with his rancid stench, I can make it through this…just need to remain calm. I need to remind myself of how it will be when she's back in my arms again…forever this time._

Ugh. Look at me.

Revolting.

I've been reduced to lurking in the shadows like a common fiend. A MONSTER!!! And it's all _HIS_ fault!!! He just refuses to keep away from her!!!

This is why I've made up my mind.

Jacob Black must die.

I've already picked the weapon of choice. Or should I say… "Jake" picked it for me. It won't be pleasant… not by any means. But I can live with that. As long as my Bella is safe…away from the lascivious desires of that mongrel, I can suffer anything…handle any consequence.

As long as my Bella is away from _HIM_…

It will all be worth it…in the end.

Emmett and Carlisle be damned!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 1**

**EmPOV**

"Not now Edward!! I'm not in the mood!!"

Why can't he let it rest? Always the damn peace-maker! For once, I wish he'd just walk away and let me punch the walls, throw the table and break every window in the house like I was planning to do before he walked in.

Damn.

Why this? Why now? _**Why me?**_

"Emmett, come on, please. Just talk to me first. I know that look. You're about to break something aren't you?" That was Edward…just like a damn woman…always studying everything I do.

Son-of-a-bitch knows me like a book.

He froze while contemplating what my next move would be. "Em. Remember. Esme lives here too. What would she think if she came home to a gutted house? You know how particular she is about everything. She falls apart if a picture frame is crooked on the wall!" His voice was pleading.

Arms up, palms showing, Edward slowly walked between me and the crystal vase just begging to be thrown.

"Let's just go grab a couple of beers at Newton's. We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I won't stand around and watch you rip up Esme's house. She'd be hysterical!"

I knew that look. Edward was about to go full _negotiator _on my ass.

I could feel my resolve to destroy dwindling.

_Shit._

Why did he have to go and pull the 'Esme' trump card? He knows how much I love her…how I'd cut off my right arm to protect the only other woman who ever loved me like my own mother…maybe even more so.

I took a step backward to force myself to decompress. "Fine. But not a word! Not one, single, solitary word! Not until I've thrown back at least four beers. Got it? Maybe then, I'll be able to withstand your friggin _silver lining to every cloud _speech!" My chest was heaving from unreleased aggression.

I watched as Edward nervously ran his hand through his already tussled hair. He knew he'd gotten to me just in the nick-of-time. A minute later and this place would have looked like an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. After a ridged nod, Edward grabbed his keys and we both left our parents' house – unscathed – and headed downtown in silence.

I had every intention of surprising Carlisle…_my father_…and confronting him about this whole ordeal. Finding that he was probably working late at the hospital (as usual) I thought I'd leave him with a little surprise…say, a huge parking space in the middle of the living room for his new Aston Martin. As predicted…just like when we were kids…Edward always managed to thwart my demolition attempts. It's as if he could read minds or something.

Stupid extra sensory perception!

I was already calming down by the time Edward's Volvo pulled up to Newton's Bar & Grill…but I'd never tell Edward that. I still didn't want him to speak until I'd drowned some of my sorrows in a few bottles of Heineken. Besides, I wasn't done feeling sorry for myself yet.

_How is this possible?_

Could everything a person believes about their life, their family…their own _father_ really change overnight? Hell…I wouldn't say our family was like the damn Cleaver's, but I'd heard enough people tell me how lucky I was to grow up in the Cullen family to know that I was part of a good thing…something special. At least…that's what I used to believe up until 24 hours ago.

"The Cullen family," What a joke!

What a lie!!

I could feel the blood starting to boil again right beneath the surface of my skin. My pecs were starting to twitch. This always happened whenever I tried to fight off my temper…I _still_ wanted to break something.

Ugh! Right now I'm in need of a serious attitude adjuster.

Come to think of it…I'm way too rational.

Matter-of-fact…why am I still sober?

"Hey! Where's my beer? Slide that shit down here. Now!!" My eyes were bulging as I shot visual daggers at the bartender for taking his sweet ass time supplying my next round.

"Relax Emmett." Edward murmured with that all too soothing voice. "At least give the man a chance to pop the lid before you bite his head off."

He ran a hand through his hair then dropped it in exasperation. "And stop torturing yourself…It's all going to work out in the end. You'll see…things like this happen for a reason."

If Edward weren't my brother, I swear to God I'd punch him in that girly mouth of his - just for the principle of it!

"Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?" I huffed while tossing a handful of peanuts in my mouth.

Edward makes me sick. Always taking the "high" road in every tumultuous situation. I knew what that jack-ass was gonna say before _HE_ even said it.

Edward…so predictable.

I know he means well. But I just need him to see it MY way for once. I need him to be pissed off _WITH_ me. Not pissed off at the "circumstance" that life has presented…or whatever that shit was he was trying to spoon feed me yesterday.

_Stupid ass._

"You're on beer number five."

"What?"

"You're on beer number five." He folded his arms on top of the bar and leaned in slightly. "You said after four beers, I could talk to you. Maybe…try to figure out where you stood with Carlisle."

_Here we go. _

"Em, I just don't want you to make any rash decisions you'll regret later down the line. Not with Carlisle. Not even with…Jacob." He dead-panned and waited for my reaction.

Great. This was Eddie at his best. The nurturer. The _supporter_ when the going gets tough. He was totally in his element now…_save Emmett before he drowns in his own sorrows!_

Edward stared directly at me with such a hopeful gaze… so intent on helping me through this crisis…being the savior in my time of need. I questioned if I should ruin his rescue attempt and tell him I actually _wanted_ to hear Carlisle's explanation…that I also wanted to know who this stranger was that showed up on my doorstep last night - claiming to be my long lost _**brother**_.

So instead, I didn't disappoint…

"Eddie. Go straight to hell. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 bucks."

"Em."

"No. Seriously man, just shut the fuck up." I took a hard swig on my long-neck then slammed the bottle down. I felt him stiffen almost immediately. Edward hated when I used the `"F" word. Esme raised us to be 'gentlemen' -_well…I was still a work in progress _- and gentlemen used a more sophisticated vocabulary. I knew it would throw Edward off long enough for me to regroup before his next onslaught at _tip-toeing through the tulips_.

Damn.

I was wrong.

"You're being childish you know…and also avoiding the inevitable. This is not helping the situation. Stop drinking and talk to me Emmett! Just tell my how you feel!"

Funny. He actually looked pissed.

"How I feel? You really want to have this conversation don't you?"

He didn't say anything. He just stared at me with those intense green eyes, daring me to open up and tell him the truth.

"Alright…I'll tell you how I feel." I sucked in a hard breath to prepare myself for the attack.

"I feel like breaking my foot off in Dad's ass! That's how I feel!" Even with the speakers blasted in the bar, my voice boomed over the sound of the music and people began turning to stare at us as I became more and more animated while revealing my feeeeelings… to Edward.

"Another brother!!! I have another _BROTHER_ and I never even knew it!!!" The words tasted like venom in the back of my throat.

"…_in the case of Jacob Black…Carlisle Cullen_…**YOU ARE THE FATHER**!!!"

"What the fuck!!!" I was incredulous.

My voice came out high pitched and unsteady. We both stared at each other because the sound was unrecognizable coming from my mouth. Edward was patient…as always…and let me continue my rant.

"You ask me how I feel. About what? The fact that I have a new extension to the family or the fact that my father cheated on my mom? My dead mother Edward!!!" I was gasping for air. I couldn't breathe. Every word seemed to exhaust the supply in my lungs.

"Do you have any idea…any inkling…of how pissed off I am? Just knowing that evidence of Carlisle's infidelity is walking around on two feet…scratching his ass…while my mother is laid to rest in her grave is unthinkable! "

With that, Edward hung his head slightly. I knew he was contemplating how he'd react if it were Esme that Carlisle cheated on. Still, I knew he'd pull out his backup pair of rose-colored glasses and come up with some sort of a response.

His voice was tight…guilt ridden. "I…I'm sorry Emmett. I can't imagine…I mean…I don't even _want_ to imagine how I'd feel right now, if I were in your shoes." Edward shifted slightly on his stool…never meeting my gaze as he continued to rationalize the situation.

"But…the fact is…this guy exists. He's here…in Seattle and he's your brother. Not getting to know him…if _only to hear his side of things, I mean_…just makes it so much worse!" His voice cracked on the last word, adding inflection.

My elbows were on top of the bar. I was holding my head in both hands…squeezing my hair from the roots. I felt…paralyzed. Helpless. I wanted to hide in a cave somewhere….hibernate…like a bear until this whole thing blew over.

"So what would you have me do Eddie?" I gave him a sideward glance without completely looking up. "Swap spit with this dude, drink tea and play catch-up? Get real!" I fumed.

Minutes passed. In spite of the music in the bar, there was a long silence hanging in the air. I could feel Edward turning over every possibility in his mind to resolve the situation. I had to hand it to the guy, he was a rock. No one was a better planner, organizer or predictor than Edward. He saw the world and people in it completely different from others. If anyone would ask me…I'd say he actually teetered on being genius. But…since no one ever asked, I never said.

There wasn't anyone else in the world I'd want to go through this agony with than Edward. He was more than just my brother…he was my best friend.

No. We weren't related by blood. Our parents met when we were kids…had some whirlwind romance and got married shortly afterwards then… _**Badda Bing! **_Instant family.

I remember walking through the door of Esme's old place and seeing this skinny little kid sitting behind a grand piano, playing the hell outta some classical piece – _Claire de Lune_? Anyway, I was mesmerized…_and jealous_. Of course I had to show off my skills as well, so I took the ball I was carrying…aimed…and whirled it across the room.

Score!!!

The ball found its mark…right up side Edward's head.

Esme gasped and ran to scrape him and the piano bench off the floor. I remember the first thing he said when he sat up "Hi…I'm Edward. Great arm!"

I knew right then and there he was one-of-a-kind. We've been best pals ever since.

I always dish it out.

Edward always takes it.

I guess some things never change. I knew at this moment, I was being an immature bastard. All Eddie was trying to do was help. Still. I was hurting inside and he was the most accessible target for my wrath. I'd never admit it though…at times like these…Edward was definitely the strong one. I don't know what I'd do without him right now.

"Em, I don't expect you to do anything you're not ready to do. All I'm asking is that you wait before making any final decisions. Give yourself a few days to calm down and think rationally. It's not like anything has to be accomplished tonight or tomorrow for that matter. Just give it a few days to sink in. Fair enough?" He leaned in closer to get a better listen for my response.

Maybe I was exhausted, maybe it was the alcohol…or maybe I knew that he was right. Whatever the case, I gave in. "Fine. I'll wait."

Satisfied, Edward relaxed and ordered us another round of beers.


	2. Chapter 2 Banana Nut Muffins

Chapter 2: Banana Nut Muffins

EPOV

Leaves were lying across the plastic covered newspaper, making the headlines barely visible as I picked it out of the shrubs where it had been thrown. After giving it one good shake, I trotted back inside my duplex and headed straight for the coffee maker. While dumping the last packet of _s_weetenerinto my mug, I glanced at the clock. _Five thirty. _I still had enough time to hop in the shower, check the messages on my answering service, and then pop into the corner bakery for muffins and coffee.

_Bella just loves the banana nut bread that Ms. Violet makes fresh each morning, _I thought to myself. I wanted to surprise my love with breakfast at work; she hadn't been eating properly and looked a little thin. Not that I'd ever tell her that directly…but I had noticed that my arms wrapped around her already slight waistline just a little too much for my liking. It's all the stress that she'd been putting herself through these days. I could tell that Bella was up to something…working on some "top secret" project that she didn't want me to know about. I'd tried to give her space…let her have her secrets, but I wouldn't stand around and watch my love wither away to skin and bones from worry. I had to put my foot down when it came to my angel's health!

Tossing my jogging clothes into the hamper, I climbed into the shower where the heat from the water massaged the aches out of my leg and back muscles. With no time to spare, I scrubbed just enough shampoo and conditioner through my hair and allowed the final remnants to wash down the drain before wrapping a towel around my waist and shoving a toothbrush into my mouth. Knowing that today would be a rare sunny day, I slipped on the tan khaki's I'd laid out the night before, as well as a white, short sleeved, button down shirt. After giving one last cursory smile in the mirror to ensure that my breath was fresh and the teeth were pearly white, I placed just enough gel in my hands and rubbed through my hair to tame it before walking out the house.

The smell of cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar engulfed me as I pushed opened the door to the bakery. The only aroma more inviting than the one invading my senses at that moment was that of my Bella. _Ummmm…_just thinking of her delicate scent made my heart flutter and my mouth water in anticipation. Everything about that woman was savory and edible. I should've known…since we'd been together, I'd tasted every inch of her delectable body to both our satisfactions. Just thinking of how I was only moments away from pulling her into my chest and nibbling the soft spot behind her ear made my pulse run hot and my arms twitch with expectancy.

Tugging me out of my nostalgic stupor, I heard someone behind the counter clear their voice with a tinge of irritability. "Excuse me sir. I said...may I help you? Are you ready to order?" The young lady stared at me in exasperation as she slipped her hand into a plastic glove to retrieve the muffins that I was now ogling.

Drawing a momentary verbal blank, I quickly composed myself and remembered why I was there in the first place. Since the bakery _had_ only been opened for five minutes, I quickly spoke up. "Oh…uh…yes. I'm ready to order," I said in a sheepish voice. I knew that she couldn't hear the sensual thoughts about Bella that were running through my mind, but I was still a little embarrassed just the same.

Before I could expound, the sound of footsteps caught both our attentions. "It's alright Gigi…I've got this one." Ms. Violet walkied over with a box stuffed with napkins and straws and shoved it into the young girl's arms, ushering her away from the counter. "Why don't you lay out the supplies and place the half-and-half on the kiosk?" It was more of an order than a question. The girl complied. Without looking up, Ms. Violet grabbed the box of gloves and began sliding one over her ring covered fingers, "Hey Edward," she said, with a smile in her voice. "It's mighty early to be in here…even for you. Keep it up and I may have to put you on the payroll." Her full cheeks quivered as her smirk evolved into an outright smile. "Now…what can I get you honey?"

Knowing how much she loved when I flirted with her, I crooned, "Well…since you've already taken my breath away with one of your beautiful smiles, I guess I'll just have to settle for two of your banana nut muffins and a couple of regular coffees to go."

"Hmpt! Banana nut muffins?" She started craning her head around me as if she were looking for someone. "So…where's little Miss Thang? I know she's here somewhere. The last time you ordered my banana nut muffins, you and that pretty little girlfriend of yours almost gave my customers a heart attack!" she said accusingly.

Throwing up my hands and putting on my most innocent face, I tried to look confused as to what she was insinuating. "What?" I asked. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Bella and I sat quietly at our table and devoured your excellent muffins without a word spoken between us."

"Child please…it wasn't the words that I was talking about. It was the body language that was getting everyone so riled up in here. The two of you…breaking off little pieces of muffin and placing them in each other's mouths…then licking one another's fingers before pulling away. Not to mention the little grunts and moans you shamelessly let escape from your lips--it was just criminal!"

She lifted up two paper coffee cups and began filling each one as she continued her chastisement. "I ain't never seen so many people so hot and bothered in one place in my entire life!" She snorted. "I swear…ole' lady Mildred had her grandbaby in here and almost blinded the poor child trying to cover her eyes with those bony hands of hers. Just…ridiculous!" She started shaking her head back and forth as she recollected the moment.

I suddenly felt a bit of remorse as my mind flashed back to that Saturday morning when Bella and I stopped in for an early breakfast before walking to the park. She was so beautiful; I almost turned us around to take her back to my place so I could show her how much I adored her in every way. "I…I'm sorry Ms. Violet. I had no idea…we were just _distracted_ by each other's company. I mean…I guess we just forgot where we were." My voice cracked a little as the guilt began to settle in.

Seeing the look of shame creeping slowly over my face, she immediately dismissed my remarks. "Edward, just hush! I sold more pastries that day than I had the entire week. Hell…I even ate one my damn self!! Hmpt. If you two could get a rise like that out of eating one of my muffins, I'd be damned if I was gonna miss out!"

With a little wink, she handed me the coffees and bag of pastries as she watched my reaction unfold. "Matter of fact…since that day, banana nut muffins are still one of my top sellers." Ms. Violet broke out in an infectious laugh and I joined in from the absurdity of it all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The engine continued to idle as I sat parked in my car waiting for any sign of Bella to roll up in her dilapidated truck. I couldn't think of how many times I'd been tempted to dismantle that iron death trap and replace it with something more stylish and sleek. Something with all the modern conveniences befitting someone of my Bella's refinement. It's almost shameful that I should ride around town in my Volvo while my love sat in that rust bucket, so obviously beneath her standing. I could only imagine what other men must have thought of me…as if I couldn't provide for my angel…as if I'd never tried to spoil her with everything money could buy.

Each time I attempted to indulge her it was always the same conversation. _"No Edward! I refuse to allow you to buy that for me. It's way too expensive. Besides, you should be putting your money aside to save up for a house." _My Bella. She was so frugal…and so cute!

I could only dream that the house she hoped I'd purchase would be a wedding gift to her someday…_very soon I might add_.

If only she knew that not only did I own the duplex I currently lived in, but I owned every duplex and townhome within a city block from my place. I'd been making real estate investments--among other things--for years…and had amassed quite a substantial financial portfolio. Not even my family knew the extent of wealth that I'd compounded over the years. It was best that they didn't. Everyone would protest if they discovered that I secured their financial futures a long time ago. I'd already made arrangements and set aside funds for everyone--unbeknownst to them--so that they would want for nothing. They all had secret trust accounts, including stocks and bonds in their names. If anything were to ever happen to me, everyone closest to my heart would be more than comfortable for years to come.

Stretching my right leg beneath the steering wheel, I tried to loosen the kink in my thigh muscle which I over extended on this morning's jog. As always, I was daydreaming about my love and how I'd surprise her with breakfast and a sensual morning kiss. I wasn't paying attention during my run and my heel had come down awkwardly, causing me to lose my footing. I had to over-compensate my stride in order to keep from falling on the concrete and immediately felt the muscle pull. It served me right…my mind always reverted back to that of a sex-crazed seventeen-year-old when I thought of putting any part of my body near Bella's.

"What's taking her so long?" I grumbled under my breath. "She should be here by now…it's not like her to not show up for work by this time." I could feel myself starting to panic. In my heart, I knew it was absurd to assume the worst when Bella did anything out of the ordinary. But I needed to know that she was alright…just to put my mind at ease.

Whipping out my cell phone, I hit #2 to call Bella's speed dial. After three rings of her phone, I heard Bella's beautiful voice mixed in with other inaudible sounds in the background.

Seemingly unsure whether she had answered her phone in time, my love responded hesitantly. "Hello? Edward?" it was a question of acknowledgment, not of identity.

"Hi sweetheart…yes…I'm here. Where are you?" Everything about this conversation was beginning to take on an awkward edge. My love sounded uncomfortable speaking to me. Immediately, I didn't like it.

"Oh…ah…I had a little car trouble this morning, but I'm heading to work now." Her voice was as meek as a child who had just gotten caught doing something she was forbidden to do.

At that instance, I heard a man speak my love's name in an all too intimate tone…the rest of his statements were muffled. The idea that some strange man was in such close proximity of my Bella that even I could hear his voice over the phone, made me want to destroy. My hand clenched around my cell phone and began to contract as I knew she was no longer focused on our conversation.

"Bella…_**Bella!!**_ Who the hell is that speaking to you?" I demanded through gritted teeth. "And where did you say you were?" I inwardly recoiled, knowing I should never have sworn at her…but I couldn't lock it away in time. I would beg her forgiveness later.

"As I said, I'm on my way to work," With a slight hesitation, she drew in a long breath then added, "and I'm taking the bus."

My head immediately jerked up. I could feel my heart accelerate and the blood rush through my veins. The muscles in my neck started to constrict as I used every ounce of my control to keep from yelling.

_The bus? What in God's name was she doing riding the bus?_

Looking at the rearview mirror, I saw the shock in my own eyes reflected back at me, as they narrowed to deadly emerald slits. "Bella…please tell me you're joking?" The question came out in a guttural tone.

Sounding as if she had regained her composure, she simply stated, "No. I'm not."

I was infuriated! "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to ride public transportation at this time of the morning? _**You**_ _**have**_ watched America's most wanted, haven't you? There are fiends and criminals out there just waiting to prey on some unsuspecting woman like you. You're being completely irresponsible with your own safety!!"

"Edward…please! I'm alright…I…" Immediately, I cut her off.

"Why didn't you call me?" I demanded accusingly. "You knew I would have picked you up? You knew I would never allow you to ride around town by yourself…on the BUS!!!" It felt as if a hand were squeezing my heart as visions of my Bella, alone in that metal cesspool full of animals, rubbed abrasively throughout my mind.

Once again, I heard the same strange voice asking if my love was alright. "Who is that man speaking to you?" I was enraged at the idea of any man besides myself, asking about the well being of my angel. How dare he concern himself with my love--as if he had the power to do anything if she were upset? Bile began to build in my throat as thoughts of this unknown man consoling my Bella played out in picture perfect detail.

In a whispered voice, she answered, "No one. Just another passenger like myself. Please Edward…just calm down…this is not a conversation I can have with you right now. Besides, you're completely overreacting!!"

_Was she kidding?_

"Overreacting!! You're sitting there…on a bus…with some strange man practically breathing down your neck and you think I'm overreacting?" I was not going to have this argument with her…she obviously wasn't thinking clearly.

"Where's your next stop? I'm picking you up." I insisted.

Raising her voice an octave, she defensively countered my demand. "That's completely unnecessary. I'll be at the bus terminal in five minutes and the next bus connection will put me off directly in front of the office. There's no need to pick me up…I'm almost there now."

I wouldn't be moved. "Bella, I want you to get off at the terminal and wait for me. I'm picking you up and I won't take no for an answer. You can bite my head off later…after you're safe with me. Do you understand? I'm picking you up…no arguments!"

My love sighed hard before hanging up the phone. I knew she was pissed, but I would never forgive myself if anything ever happened to her. She was my responsibility. I would be less of a man if I didn't do everything within my power to keep her safe…even if it meant protecting her from her own decisions. As smart as my Bella was, she could be so naïve at times when it came to the intentions of other men. I saw the looks and stares that flashed across men's faces when they saw her…the lust…the want…reeking from their very pores! It's as if I could hear their thoughts without a word being spoken. They didn't even have the decency or respect to hide their desires when in my presence! I could only imagine what some fiend was trying to orchestrate to lure her in when she was away from me. This was why I insisted on picking her up at the terminal. Whoever this man was, he would not touch her or attempt to get into my angel's all-too-willing good graces. I would see to that!

Putting the gear in reverse, I pressed the accelerator, spinning my Volvo around in a backward motion…then shifted into drive, before gunning it to pull out into traffic. The terminal was less than four minutes away at a normal speed.

_I made it there in two._

Easily sliding out of my car as the engine came to a stop, my eyes scanned the entire area before settling on a bus that had just pulled into its stop. It took only a few strides before I stood at the buses exhaust-laden rear. I walked slowly along the side in order to peer through each window to find Bella's location.

I felt a pang of relief wash over me when I finally saw her standing there attempting to collect her belongings before taking her place in the line of people trying to make their way to the exit.

As if fate were trying to mock me, I saw her trip over some unforeseen object on the floor and was immediately caught…along the waist I might add…by a man that was standing directly behind her. I felt a tinge of guilt as I knew I would have preferred to see her fall than to be embraced so intimately by that scoundrel.

Rushing to the door, people pushed briskly pass me as I waited, with ire, for her to exit the bus. I was inwardly seething as I saw Bella descending the stairs…being supported under one elbow by the man whose voice I was sure I heard over the phone. Glaring at him with unbridled wrath, my eyes commanded his immediate attention. The malice in my expression when he finally looked up caused him to hesitate in shock and he further tightened his hold on my angel's arm.

Barely taking three steps off the bus, I literally snatched my love from the embrace of the man who was obviously trying to attach himself to Bella in more than just a physical way. A bit taken aback by my reaction, Bella stared up at me from the protective folds of my arms as I firmly planted a kiss on her forehead and possessively encircled my arms about her waist. Defiantly cutting my eyes at the man standing there waiting to be acknowledged, I couldn't help but notice--with pleasure--his fallen face and obvious disappointment.

Feeling the need to dismiss this man, I turned a stone face to him and peered into his eyes with unchallenged disgust and authority. "Thank you for keeping _my girlfriend_ company this morning. I was worried that she would encounter unsavory people with lewd intentions on the bus ride over here." My expression didn't change.

Clearing his throat and wiping his brow he nervously looked between Bella and me before settling on my angel's empathetic face. "Oh...um…yes…I was happy to do so." With a surge of bravery he continued, "Maybe we'll bump into one another again sometime. This is my usual morning route to work. It's always nice to chat with friendly people."

With a forced smile, Bella attempted to answer his pleasantries. "Thanks…I would be hap…" Squeezing her firmly and pulling her possessively into my side, I intruded on her response.

"Thanks. But I doubt if you'll ever have to put yourself out again. Bella usually doesn't ride the bus…this is a one-time occurrence that _**will not**_ likely be repeated." My answer was finite. Turning my back to the man, I didn't wait for a response as I dragged her a little too insistently toward my Volvo. I could feel her body tense with internal anticipation to yell at me for treating her like a child. We'd butted heads on this issue numerous times, but I knew on this occasion I was right to insist on picking her up and no discussion…or argument…would sway me from that decision. Bella would just have to get over it.

Opening the passenger door, I placed my love in the seat and watched her brows furrow, then twitch in anger as I casually strode to the driver's side, eased into the car and closed the door in one motion. With a turn of the key, I revved the engine and pulled out of the terminal in silence. I waited for the onslaught of rage that was sure to engulf me at any moment.

With a tear stricken voice, the words gushed out of her mouth as she looked at me with glassy eyes. "How could you Edward? How could you embarrass me like that…in front of that man…as if I were a child?" she bit her bottom lip as she attempted to hold back a sob that almost escaped her throat.

I was crushed. I felt like a brute for making her cry even though the tears were nevertheless unshed. "Bella, it was never my intent to embarrass you. This whole situation caught me completely off guard. I would never intentionally hurt or belittle you." I wanted to console her…to take it all back, so I lifted my right hand and softly stroked the side of her cheek.

"Well you did! It's as if you don't trust me to make decisions for myself." Her lips were trembling now and I could feel my righteous resolve dwindling. The look of hurt on her face…believing that I didn't trust her…was more than I could bear. The weight of her anguish fell on me like a ton of bricks.

Turning into the parking lot of her office building, I cruised into a space, shut off the ignition and pulled out the key. With both hands still on the steering wheel, I closed my eyes to regain my composure before speaking. "That's not true Bella, and you know it," I breathed.

"Do I?" She questioned with an arched brow. "Would you have trusted me to ride the bus this morning even if I would have told you from the very start?"

"Bella…I…" It was her turn to interrupt.

"Answer the question Edward! Would you have trusted me?" her cheeks were flushed as she anticipated my answer.

Grabbing her hands and using the most humble voice I could muster, I looked deeply into her eyes so she could see my sincerity and my concern. "Sweetheart…I trust you with my life. Of course I trust you to ride the bus…it's other people that I don't trust. You, on the other hand, seem to trust everyone…no matter who they are…or where you meet them...you're an open book!" My jaw clenched as I further considered, "People immediately sense your goodness and would use it to hurt you. _I just won't allow it!_" I brought my love's hand to my lips and lightly kissed her knuckles.

The harshness in her voice softened just a bit when she understood that my intentions were pure. "I know that you're only trying to look out for me…and God knows I love you for it, but please…just have a little faith in me and my judgment. I need to know that you trust me to take care of myself, just as you trust me to always take care of you." she amended her plea, "From now on…please don't freak out on me like you did today. I don't need to be rescued when there's entirely no threat of harm. I am perfectly capable of doing things for myself without getting into trouble."

I only nodded to acknowledge her statement…not to agree with her terms. I could tell she wanted this conversation to be over as much as I did. So I decided to give in…just a little.

"Bella…love…can you please forgive me?" Reaching out to her, I rubbed my fingers gently against the side of her cheek. I couldn't stand the distance between us even though we were only inches apart.

With mutinous emotion in my voice, I admitted, "I get so…_anxious_…when you're away from me. The idea of anything happening to you when I know there are things I can do to prevent your harm…drives me a little crazy."

"Edward, of course I forgive you, but…you have to stop being so controlling. Promise me that you'll at least try to be more reasonable?" she squeezed my hands as if to encourage me to answer in the affirmative.

If all she wanted was my _attempt_ at reasonableness…I could give her that. "I promise," I pledged.

My heart melted when her lips turned up at the ends into an array of pure joy and beauty. Her smile was like the sun peeking out for the first time after a cloudy day. _Ahhh…Perfection!_

What she didn't know…was that the _**real promise**_ I silently made to myself was never to allow my angel to see that side of me again. I knew I could never promise not to protect her, but I could do everything within my power to prevent her pain and discomfort. I couldn't stand to see her sad or distraught…especially if I was the source of her agony. No. I wouldn't let myself lose control like that in front of her again. _**That**_…I could promise!

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, I flashed my most dazzling smile and announced, "As a token of my sincere apology, I hope you'll accept this small gift." Lifting the small paper bag from behind the backseat, I placed it on the console between us. With a little smirk on my face, I smiled as Bella questionably glanced up at me before unfolding the top of the bag.

She gave a slight gasp then quickly closed the top again, as if the contents would float away if she didn't. My love giggled then asked, "Is this what I think it is?" Her eyes were as big as saucers as she waited for my response.

"Yep…it sure is." With a glint of seduction across my face, I waggled my eyebrows and stared openly at her full lips.

"Oh Edward!" her voice beamed with excitement. "Banana nut muffins!! You must _**really**_ want my forgiveness," she teased.

"Well…forgiveness isn't the only thing I want at this moment." I murmured as I lowered my head closer to her face. "I was thinking of something a bit more edible than muffins…" I whispered.

My lips brushed against her cheek as they searched for the fullness of her mouth that promised such sweetness, I strained to control the urge to take her right there in my car. I could feel her lips submit to the pressure of my own, as a little moan of pleasure escaped from her throat. My tongue deepened the kiss…silently making other promises...as the temperature inside the car heated to an uncomfortable degree. Bella sighed as my hand moved along her neck to massage the pulse point near her jaw line. Her body became lithe as I pulled her in closer so I could take a more dominant position over her.

I wanted to thoroughly kiss her neck and allow my tongue to travel between her collarbone and her chest where my hands would massage the tips of her nipples until she begged me to release her from her pain--but I couldn't. The cell phone in my pocket kept going off…breaking us out or our passionate stupor.

Damn.

Damndamndamndamn!!!!

"Dammit!!" I finally said out load.

Looking at my cell phone, I read that the missed call was Emmett. I knew I had to call him back as soon as possible. He was in no state of mind to be by himself, especially after last night's demolition attempt.

"Who was it?" My love asked…still trying to catch her breath after our kiss.

"It's Emmett" I said in an all too solemn voice. Bella looked at me quizzically then touched my creased brow as if to rub the worry off my face. I didn't want to upset her so I forced myself to relax. "It's nothing sweetheart; honestly, Emmett just needs his little brother's advice, while he attempts to make a life altering decision." I gave a half-smile then kissed her forehead.

"Edward…that sounds major to me. What kind of life altering decision does he have to make?" she pressed.

I knew that I would eventually have to tell my love the entire story, but since I was almost as in the dark about the details as she, I insisted that we should speak about it later, after she got off work. This was not a conversation to begin ten minutes before she had to clock in.

"Alright. We can talk about it later," She conceded, "and Edward, let Emmett know that I'm here for him too…if he needs me." Grabbing the bag of muffins and one of the coffees, Bella planted a firm kiss on my lips before getting out of the car. After promising to wait for me to pick her up this afternoon, I watched until she was safely inside the building before pulling off.

My mind raced with all the possible new information that Emmett may have discovered since last night about his mysterious half-brother, who just showed up, unannounced on his doorstep. Making a sharp left-turn, I accelerated the car away from downtown in the direction of Emmett's place. My big brother needed me and I was not going to let him self-destruct in the wake of these new events. Hitting call on my cell I pressed the phone closer to my ear and listened as it began to ring.

As I waited patiently for Emmett to answer, I saw one name flash across my mind…Jacob Black.

Even the name itself was an omen of darker events to come. I just hoped whatever the story may have been behind his sudden appearance; our family would be strong enough to withstand the storm that was certain to affect us all.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Mama's Boy

Jake POV

_I could tell it was gonna be one of those days._

Walking from under the garage, I looked up at the sky and took in what ultimately turned into another cold soggy day. As I bent over to pick up the tools sprawled across the ground, rain drops fell hitting me on the bridge of my nose.

_Damn,_ I cursed to myself. Not when I have to finish this bike for my customer.

Even though I owned a pretty sweet garage it wasn't exactly insulated. The freezing temps had my fingers feeling like icicles attached to my palms.

_Man!! It's cold as hell out here and this wind is riding me like a ten dollar hooker on Hollywood Boulevard._

With one accurate toss, the wrench and screwdriver landed in the tool box as I stood at a distance to glare at the bike that had become an eyesore on my lawn.

After blowing my warm breath between my palms, I rubbed my hands together trying to create a little friction. Looking at the object of my procrastination, I irritably scowled to myself. _I need to get this stupid bike fixed before the owner has a cow!_

He was expecting his hunk of junk to be finished two days ago, but I just didn't feel up to the challenge. Guess I was paying for it now.

_Ah well, back to work_.

After giving myself a reality check, I knew that putting this job off any longer would only cause me more grief. I'd already avoided it far too long while I worked on my own personal projects and a miserable day like today was just the excuse I needed to extend it some more. Normally my body temp ran pretty warm, but today the chill from the wind was sticking to me like cold on ice. I'd lived in La Push all my life and though I was used to the cold, depressing, rainy weather, there was something strange about today. It's almost like…sadness had slowly begun to creep up on me.

Stretching my arms up and cracking my back, I tried to just shake it off. But the gloominess of the day caused my thoughts to drift towards the memory of my beautiful mother and how tough it was for her to raise me by herself.

Feeling more than distracted, I decided to take a break from working and went into my tiny house to grab a light snack. Over by the sink was the old hand-me-down refrigerator I always had as a child. I couldn't remember how many times I'd fixed the handle on that thing. It was more than past due to buy a new _Frigidaire_ or _Whirlpool_, but it reminded me so much of mom, I just couldn't let it go.

_Ahh...she made the best bologna and cheese sandwiches... _

In memory of her, bologna with cheese on honey wheat was my snack for the day. That, along with a tall glass of milk, was just enough to finish me off for the afternoon. One trip to the bathroom and my head was ready to get back into focus. Feeling another wave of emotions, I stopped short on my way to the garage. I was so caught off guard by its intensity that I barely noticed I hit my knee on the tiny end table causing the lamp on top to rattle. Something still just wasn't right with me.

Reaching down to hold the lamp steady, my eyes diverted to the beautiful picture of my mother holding me up, smiling, and wearing one of her lovely handmade dresses. Caressing her image with my finger, I smiled as I remembered she was quite crafty with that type of stuff.

All of her dresses, along with my clothes, were handmade. But I knew now that she only did that because she couldn't afford to buy the expensive ones…or even the ones that weren't so expensive for that matter.

Those were such happy times back then…at least for me anyway. I was just so young, so naïve and I had no idea we were poor or less fortunate. Mom made sure I was oblivious to the ugliness and the disappointments of the world.

_God I miss her so much! _

Don't get me wrong, I was never a mama's boy, but I loved her with all my heart. I watched her work, day in and day out to provide me with food, clothing, and love. All she ever wanted was for me to be happy.

As I got older, every now and then I would ask about my father, but she quickly changed the subject and I never pushed her beyond that point. It was obvious that his memory was too much for her to bear. For years, I wanted to confront the man that had such an effect on my mother's emotional and mental state. I hated every DNA strand of his in my body because of what he did to her. I knew it would put her in an early grave if I tried to press the issue…so I let it go.

Mom always loved and pined over my father when I wasn't around. What she didn't know, was that I often caught her staring off…_smiling_…obviously with thoughts of him playing around in her mind. Then without notice, a frown would etch across her brow like a dark cloud and her lovely face would fall into her hands, followed by a quiet sob. So many times I saw her choke back tears…_tears that he never deserved!_ It was moments like those, which told me she still loved this man that cut her deep to the core.

As a child, I remembered how men at the reservation showed interest in my mother. Each one spoke so passionately about Mom all the time and respected her greatly as a member of the community. I never bothered to dwell on it, because she in no way looked at any man or thought about him the way she did my father. One day, this guy named Billy Black started coming around the house. He was the nicest person I had ever met. He even took me fishing and camping or would just sit around and talk to me about the world or my personal interests. I was always at peace when I was around Billy, so you could imagine my joy when mom announced they were going to be married. I would at last have the father I always prayed for.

After mom passed away I was finally able to get some information about my _biological_ father. Most of what I already knew about him, which wasn't much at the time, came from the Quilette elders. It wasn't until recently that I found out from Emily, mom's cousin and her husband Sam the whole truth about some crazy love triangle involving my father. What's even more disturbing was that the Quilette elders had a hand in keeping them apart. Worse than that, everyone lied to me for years and never allowed me to decide whether to have my father in my life or not. How could the very people that I loved and looked up to, betray me and my mother that way?

To this day, I still don't know if I could trust those who meant so much to me, ever again.

*******************************************************************

After all these years I'd finally learned his name.

_Carlisle Cullen…a doctor…how ironic._

He spent most of his day saving lives. Yet he could never save my mother from her broken heart, which by the way, he caused.

Everyone's involvement in keeping my parents apart was utterly distressing and shocking. I could no longer blame just Carlisle for his absence in my life and it certainly put a spin on how I felt about him now. I was hurt and confused.

The same questions kept swirling around in my head. _Do I hate him? Should I love him? Was he to blame for all that had happened?_ I definitely needed more answers and I wanted it to come directly from my father.

Anger filled my heart as I thought back to the many times I struggled with confronting Carlisle, but wasn't sure if I should. My mother kept so much from me and refused to let me know anything about him. I felt as though I would be betraying her memory if I went against her wishes.

_She always insisted on protecting him!! _

Tragically, my mother passed away when I was only eight years old…seemed like out of the blue she suddenly fell ill. They said she had pneumonia, but I believed she died because her heart was broken. A part of me died too. I couldn't protect her from the sadness or the loneliness, which took over her mind, body and soul.

_I'll always hate myself for that._

******************

The day of the funeral came around in a haze.

_For me…it was unbearable._

So many people showed up to pay their respects. Billy was there to comfort me, but I was catatonic and in no way able to form coherent thoughts. My eyes blinked every few moments as if in a state of shock. I was so young back then and the thought of not being able to protect my mother made me feel worse. I tried so hard to take away mom's pain of not having my father's love. But as a child, I couldn't understand the devotion she had for this man or why Billy's love for her never filled that void.

Being that helpless was something I never wanted to experience again. I decided right then that I had to become a man. When it was my time to find true love and have a family, I wouldn't let anything get in the way. Nothing and no one would stop me from enjoying a lifetime of happiness that I needed and felt I deserved.

After the funeral, it was decided that Billy would have custody of me. At that time, he was the only family I had that was willing or able to care for me.

Although Billy and I weren't related by blood, he was my replacement father and I couldn't have asked for a better one. He, along with the other elders, taught me how to love life and conquer the challenges I would soon face as a man. Billy also gave me a sense of history about our people and how to claim my place in this world. You could say he showed me that my existence was needed, just like every other human being, to carry on our heritage in this life.

*********

Walking back into the garage I was glad that no one was around to see me like this. I needed to focus on the task at hand and leave the past behind me where it belonged. Before I could finish my thought, I heard footsteps coming up the driveway at a hurried pace.

Damn!

I spoke too soon…here _they_ come!

Crossing both arms against my chest, I shifted my weight to one foot as I stood watching as my two best friends descended on me from a distance. There were times when I loved hanging out with Quil and Embry, but when I was in this type of mood I hated to see them coming. I knew something wasn't right by the unfamiliar expressions plastered over their faces. Their lanky legs seemed as though they couldn't get to me fast enough. I could feel myself becoming anxious as each step brought them nearer. My stomach knotted and that strange, odd feeling in my heart suddenly got stronger as I sensed something was wrong…..very wrong.

***************************************

I jumped on my motorcycle and drove as fast as possible to get to Billy. Quil and Embry informed me that he had a mild heart attack and was rushed to the hospital. Thank God some of the elders were with him when it happened.

After arriving, in what seemed like five minutes, I jumped off my bike and ran as fast as I could toward the front entrance. I hastily pushed through the automatic double doors of Forks Memorial Hospital. My eyes darted quickly around…past the lobby to the front desk where a lovely young lady was sitting.

Almost out of breath, eyes wide, I asked, "Billy Black's room please?"

She looked at her computer, typed something in quickly, pointed and said, "Just take the elevator to the fifth floor and turn right. Room five twenty eight will be on your left."

"Thanks," I said as I walked hastily down the hall.

Waiting on the elevator was like watching paint dry. _It was just so friggin' slow!_

Finally the chime signaled and the doors opened.

"Damn," I cursed to myself. I had to first wait until grandma and grandpa '_Kettle' _crept slowly out of the doorway.

"_Why is it when you're in a hurry something or someone always has to get in your way," _I silently fumed.

After what felt like minutes I was finally able to step into the elevator.

My nerves began to take over and my shaky hands were sweating as I waited for the snail paced elevator to reach the fifth floor. Pacing back and forth, I put my hands in my front jean pockets to keep them calm…but my thumbs that were hanging out kept strumming like I was banging on drums in a rock band.

Eyes closed, I tilted my head back, took in a deep breath and said a small prayer which was immediately interrupted when I heard the chime of the elevator. I nearly broke through the doors trying to get off so I could get down the hall to Billy's room.

To keep from startling him, I momentarily tried to calm myself before I opened the door. Feeling in control, I grabbed the handle and lightly pushed it open.

Suddenly, I had a feeling of déjà vu all over again and that previously disturbing feeling rapidly snuck back up on me. Only this time, it wasn't thoughts of my mother; it was Billy in a hospital bed.

He was lying there, unmoving, and the only noise my brain could decipher was the constant beeping sound which resonated throughout the entire room. It was the sound of his heart monitor and I let out a huge sigh of relief knowing that he was okay.

I barely noticed a couple of the elders sitting in the back of the room. I cut my eyes at them as they nodded to say hello. I hadn't forgotten about their involvement in this whole scandal surrounding my mother and father, but now was not the time or place to bring it up. So I promptly reigned in my emotions and headed over to where Billy was lying silently.

As I got closer to the bed I could see the wrinkles from old age upon his face. I had no idea how long I stood there taking in his features, but I suppose it was only for a minute. I think in the back of my mind I had an awful feeling that he too, would eventually join my mother in another life.

I was immediately shaken out of my regard when he slowly opened his eyes and gave me a wide smile.

"Hey, hey Billy," I said while returning a huge grin back to him.

"Hey my son," was his first words.

I decided after mom's death that I wanted a "real father" of some sort. So, when it was decided that I would remain with Billy, I asked him to call me his son and he never once tried to talk me out of it. I believed he already thought of me as such and would have called me that whether I liked it or not. So, it all worked out perfectly.

I was so excited at seeing him awake that I was tempted to give one of my usual big, bone-crushing hugs, but I figured that wouldn't be a good idea. I simply moved closer and placed my hand directly over one of his, which was lying still across his abdomen.

Billy took his free hand and grabbed the remote, which was located conveniently at his side and moved the bed so he could sit up. Silently, he looked past me to nod at the elders whose faces held an unspoken revelation. They sat there so quietly I'd forgotten they were even in the room.

They both stood and knowingly nodded to Billy in return. It was as if they could hear each other's thoughts. On their way out, each of them placed a hand on my shoulder with a light squeeze as they exited the room.

My attention immediately returned to Billy as he cleared his throat and spoke in his usual lighthearted tone.

"Damn Jake…I'm surprised you found time to come talk to me. I was hoping you would come up for air out of that garage of yours." The wrinkles around his eyes deepened as his face took on a big smirk.

"It seems as though I don't get to see you as often, now that you've started your own business. Your mother would be very proud of you, you know," he finished.

A smile swept across my face as I said, "Sure is good to see your humor hasn't left you. Thanks Billy."

Truth was, I loved it when he said mom would be proud. I never wanted to be a disappointment to either one of them. That's what prompted me to start my own business in the first place.

Smiling, but with a hint of seriousness in his voice, he began to speak.

"Look Jake, I'm not getting any younger and I think its fine time for you to get to know the other side of your family." His eyes bore into mine as he continued.

"Hell, I've been in this wheelchair for some time now and as you can see my health is fading. I'm not getting any younger you know."

As my smile began to fade, I asked him what he was implying and he didn't hesitate in getting to the point.

With a slight sound of irritation in his voice he continued. "You know as well as I do about the scandals involving your father. Certain things happened, which resulted in you missing out on a big part of your life."

Taking in a deep breath, he adjusted his body slightly against the pillows. "Everyone you know had a hand in keeping you from your father all these years. But now that you're a grown man, it's time to make your own decisions. Don't let anything get in the way of finally finding happiness."

"You must find Carlisle and talk with him. The opportunity to get some answers is now, while you are still a young man. You deserve to hear his side of the story," he admonished.

Lifting one shaky hand, Billy placed it firmly on my shoulder. "He must take responsibility and face you for not being there all these years. Both of you need to do this for yourselves."

A feeling of being that eight-year-old boy many years ago washed over me once more.

I ran a hand over my face and told him I just wasn't sure if I could take the possible rejection…not to mention mom's wish that I didn't talk with Carlisle in the first place.

Billy immediately dismissed my concerns. He explained that mom's reason for not telling me the truth about Carlisle was to protect him. She never wanted anything bad to happen to him because of her. When Billy married mom, he knew and fully understood the depth of love she still had for Carlisle. He accepted that she would do everything within her power to shield my father from those would try to harm him. In her world, he could do no wrong.

I started to interrupt, but he held up his hand to silence me and admitted, "I loved you like you were my own even before your mother left this world. She always knew she would not see you into manhood and asked me to be like a father to you. I was honored that she would even consider me for the job if she was no longer in this life. I gladly accepted her offer without hesitation. But, I always knew there would come a time when you would need to seek out your biological father. I can't think of a better time than the present."

Billy placed a wrinkled hand over mine and said, "Go and find him. He lives in Seattle and works in the hospital out there. I have heard that he may also have another son."

With that bit of encouragement, I left the hospital and decided to get back to the garage to finish my last job. I didn't want anything to stand in the way of making plans to confront Carlisle.

I knew, after speaking with the doctors, that Billy would be home by the next evening. He was recovering quickly since he arrived this afternoon. The doctors would allow him to go home, but he was required to be on bed rest and would stay at Sam and Emily's to recoup.

That night, I laid silently in my bed thinking about the stuff Billy spoke of in the hospital. I couldn't help but feel a little anxious knowing that my father was so close and I was even closer to a truth that could change the way I had been thinking of him all these years.

I tossed and turned in my sleep as I dreamed of confronting a faceless man. Different scenarios played out in my mind.

_In one dream I saw myself punching his lights out as he called me the bastard child that he never wanted. In another dream, I was a little boy and my mother was still alive. He had been in a war overseas all this time and was finally discharged. He came home welcoming us both with open arms and we were so happy. _

Disoriented…I woke up to see the digital clock showed a bright red _4:30 a.m_. Unable to go back to sleep, I decided to get on my computer and do a little research.

_Thank God for Google! _

Virginia Mason Hospital was where I found him. Luckily, they listed all of their doctors on the website. It was so easy to find him it was almost criminal. No wonder there was such a problem with identity theft these days.

Time passed by quickly and it was now close to _7:00 a.m.,_ so I decided to make breakfast, eat, and get cleaned up.

_Today is gonna to be the day,_ I thought.

I headed out in my red Chevy Silverado truck (I just loved that color) and drove the three hour trip to Seattle. My nerves started to get the best of me the closer I got to the hospital. I stopped at the gas station to fill up, use the restroom, and take a look at the directions once more.

_Crap!_ I was closer than I thought. Virginia Mason was just five miles away.

"Just relax," I repeated to myself as I hopped back in the truck and drove the remainder of my trip.

I pulled into the huge parking garage of the hospital, got out and followed the sign to the entrance. With each step, I became more and more nervous, but swallowed down my fear as I approached the woman at the front desk.

"May I please see Dr. Carlisle Cullen," I asked, trying to keep my voice from sounding shaky and desperate.

With an apologetic tone she responded, "Oh, I'm sorry young man. Dr. Cullen isn't here today. Can another doctor help you?"

Suddenly feeling down heartened I looked at her and sighed, "_No ma'am"_ and started to walk away. She must have heard the disappointment in my voice, because she called me back to the desk. "Why do you need to see him specifically," she asked.

I couldn't really tell her why, so I told a half-truth. "He knew my mother and she passed away, so I wanted to talk with him about it."

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry to hear that. Well, Dr. Cullen is at a convention downtown," she confirmed while looking at her calendar, "and he won't be back until Friday."

_Well…that was a buzz kill. I drove all this way for nothing! _

Then a thought occurred to me.

Since I had her sympathy and I knew Carlisle probably had another son, I chose to press my luck to see if she would tell me where he lived. After all, I did come all this way from out of town.

"Would it be possible to tell me where his son might be? Maybe he and I could talk," I pleaded.

"Well, I suppose…since you have come all this way and he isn't here…I guess you can just give someone the message so they can relay it to him. Dr. Cullen has two sons actually, but I'll give you the address to Emmett's. He lives closer and I wouldn't want you to drive too far since it will be getting dark soon." Scribbling an address on a piece of paper she slid it across the front desk.

_Sweet!_

"Whatever you do, don't tell him I gave this out. I wouldn't want to get fired, you know." She winked and gave me an encouraging smile. I returned one back, said thanks and quickly walked back to my truck.

I read the directions that the gracious lady gave and within ten minutes arrived at a nice hilly neighborhood with great landscaping.

_Hmmm….definitely the kind of place I would stay if my money was right. _

At least if he wasmy brother…he had good taste!

After turning on a couple of streets I finally arrived at 4901 Rustic Circle. Luckily, I could see a light on inside the house. I turned off the ignition and slowly stepped out of the truck. I walked to the front door, pressed the doorbell and waited for him to answer. I didn't know what I would say to him, but I knew it would change my life and possibly his, forever.


	4. Chapter 4 Saving Angels

Chapter 4

EPOV

Waving an orange flag, the man signaled me to inch my Volvo slowly down the one-way path leading beyond the construction site along the highway. Avoiding a couple of stray cones lying in the way, I maneuvered my vehicle to the left then accelerated fully when the lanes opened to their fullest capacity.

"Alright Em, go ahead. You were saying?" I had placed Emmett on hold long enough to ensure I'd slip pass the construction work without scratching my Volvo's custom finish.

Completely irritated, Emmett groaned before responding, "Just get here man! I hate trying to talk to you when you're driving." He growled, and then ended the call.

Flipping my cell shut, I could feel my mouth twist in aggravation by the turn the conversation had taken with Emmett. Fully expecting him to admit that he wanted to speak with Jacob and hear his side of things, I was a bit put off when he started back-pedaling on the issue. I had already surmised at Newton's that Emmett was not prepared to confess his "curiosity" about this newly uncovered brother of his. Wearing his "bad-ass" composure was far easier than acknowledging that he was hurt and emotionally scarred. The lack of control over any circumstance--especially one like this--always brought out the worst in Emmett. If he couldn't strong-arm someone into bending to his will then he usually took the next best option; he avoided the situation all together.

"Not this time big Bro," I plotted to myself.

What Emmett needed was an "intervention" and I was just the person to arrange it. It was time to pull out the _big guns_ for a situation as critical as this. Although I rarely resorted to such means, Emmett left me with no choice--the condition was dire. He'd thoroughly backed me into a corner and took away any option of reason and compromise I attempted to impress upon him. Frustrated, I had run out of ideas and knew that time was not on my side. So I decided to use my weapon of mass destruction…my option of last resort: _it was time to call Alice._

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"And you're just _now_ calling me? I can't believe you'd keep me out of the loop like this!! Edward…what the _hell _were you thinking?" I knew making this call would take years off my life, but Emmett was worth it. So I held my tongue as she continued tearing into me.

"Did that big brain of yours finally implode? I mean seriously…Emmett is my brother too!! Why wasn't I told about this immediately?" It was a valid question.

Our little pint-sized sister was larger than life…bigger than both Emmett and I in so many ways. If Emmett was the muscle and I was the brains of the family, then Alice was the force to be reckoned with that controlled us all. Her childlike, musical voice alone had wreaked havoc in the hearts of men. I had witnessed her control people like a puppeteer without so much as a backward glance or a misplaced strand of hair. Alice was the self-appointed _"watcher"_ of all things _Cullen,_ and to not include her in on this turn of events sooner was surely a death sentence.

With the phone slightly held away from my ear, I couldn't help but allow my mind to drift toward Esme and Carlisle as Alice continued her rant. I mean really…how could two of the most calm, compassionate, patient, endearing people give birth to such a creature as Alice. It was unfathomable to think that their genetic composition was responsible for spawning a being that could send Attila the Hun cowering away for dear life.

With a start, I was jolted out of my reverie as her voice took on a higher melodic pitch, "Do you understand me Edward? You will NEVER…EVER…keep me in the dark like this again!!! Did it ever once cross your mind that this _Jacob person_ is my brother too? Hmmmm?" Of course, she was right--as always.

"I'm sorry Ali..."

"That's right. You're sorry…trifling…and a selfish, controlling JERK!!" Her voice hitched on the word _jerk_ and I knew that the emotional ramifications were taking their toll on her self-control. The impact of Carlisle having another son--Emmett and Alice both, having a half-brother--had finally sunk in. My little sister's voice trembled. "I'm sorry Edward," she sobbed. "That was mean. I didn't mean to over-react. I'm just upset that you didn't trust me enough to tell me sooner. And poor Emmett, he must be crushed!"

"Alice, it's all right. Emmett will be fine," I reassured her. "I just got off the phone with him. He yelled at me and everything too. You know better than anyone that the fact that Emmett is yelling means he's fully in control."

"But you don't understand Edward! This is the one thing that could cause Emmett to hate Dad! I don't know why he kept this a secret all these years, but right now I don't really care. All I'm concerned about is our family. This could ruin everything!" In that moment, Alice sounded like the little girl she looked to be in stature. Being the only child that linked the two halves of our family together had always put an unspoken pressure on Alice to keep us intact. Somehow, she reasoned that her existence legitimized our family as a unit, and anything threatening that unit would unleash a fierceness from her that was unknown to children and men.

I could have sworn I heard the wheels of her calculating mind turn as she inhaled deeply and regained her composure. With an unnatural sweetness to her tone, she inquired, "So…where is he?"

Clueless, I glanced at the clock on the dashboard then answered, "Emmett? He's at home. I should be approaching his place in less than fifteen minutes."

"Duh! Not Emmett. Jacob. Where is he…_exactly?_" I knew making this phone call to Alice was an ingenious decision. I could feel the makings of one of her diabolical plans begin to germinate.

"I really couldn't say Alice. According to Emmett, the guy showed up on his doorstep the other night when he couldn't locate Carlisle, and then just disappeared. He could be anywhere." For a moment, I actually considered whether Alice planned to make Jacob disappear permanently, but dismissed the idea as ludicrous.

"Fine. I can work with that. Okay Edward…I'm giving you a homework assignment, just to see how resourceful you are." Always the manipulator, Alice knew I could never resist a challenge.

"Which is…" I pressed.

"His phone number. The guy has got to have a cell phone. Get me his number, I don't care how, just have it for me when I call you back around noon. Can you handle that?" Her voice held a goading edge to it that bordered on irritation.

"I think it can be arranged," I said flatly.

"Perfect! Call you at noon…tootles!" Feeling more than pleased with herself, Alice hung up the phone with a tenor of giddiness. An involuntary shudder ran down my spine as I considered the backlash that I would receive from Emmett once the full force of Alice's plan was unleashed.

Alice's so-called homework assignment was far too easy to complete. Unbeknownst to her, I kept a private detective on payroll at all times for my personal and business affairs. Considering I had yet to find anyone as resourceful as Mr. Demetri in all my years of business, his efficiency warranted the monthly expense. I was certain that he would provide a full transcript of Jacob Black's life history in the course of a few hours, if commissioned. Providing me with a simple cell phone number would not be a challenge for a man of his means.

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As expected, Alice called me exactly at twelve. After divulging Jacob's phone number, I was congratulated and given strict instructions to arrive at Newton's no later than seven o'clock. Alice had already assigned Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie, the duty of taking him there no matter how much he protested. Sounding rather smug, Alice rightly concluded that this request would be adhered to, since Rosalie was the one person in the world that Emmett could never refuse.

My failed attempt to interrogate Alice regarding the purpose of the gathering left me a little frustrated. I wanted to prepare myself in advance for whatever possible outcome the evening would bring. Knowing Alice as I did, she probably intended to withhold this information from me as punishment for keeping her in the dark about Jacob's arrival. Admittedly, I deserved whatever punishment she invoked. I only hoped that Bella wouldn't be affected by the backlash of Alice's revenge. I needed to call my love to see if she would accompany me to Newton's after I picked her up from work this afternoon. Besides, I needed to properly apologize for my inexcusable behavior this morning at the bus station.

"God! I am such an asshole," I admitted to myself.

_Why does Bella put up with me? How can I properly make amends for my actions? Why do I lose control so easily when it comes to her?_

Those questions had always haunted me from the moment I first laid eyes on my love. Without rationale, I constantly had an uncontrollable urge to be near her, to protect her and provide her with every minuscule comfort life could bring. I'd always felt this urge…this anxiety…an unexplainable fixation for her safety and happiness. From the moment she walked into my life, I felt as though someone reached into my being and forced every nerve strand, every ounce of awareness to focus on this one person who, at that time, was completely unaware of my existence. I could never understand it. It was always there…_this impulse_…looming, from the very beginning. I could remember that day in the department store as though it had just happened.

There I was re-hanging a blouse among racks of many other blouses of equal quality, as far as I was concerned, feeling quite overwhelmed. I gritted my teeth as I considered how grueling a task it was to shop for the one person in the world who knew more about fashion than Versace. "What am I doing here," I scolded myself. "I should give her a gift card and be done with it!"

Alice, my "_fashionista"_ little sister, was having a birthday that weekend and mom let it slip that she felt slighted, because I never put much thought into her gifts; that I always gave her money to shop for herself, which of course, was something she did everyday anyway. She had hoped this year I would actually personalize my gift to her desires. Feeling a tad bit guilty, I decided to take on the monumental "task" of birthday shopping for Alice…besides, I could always include the gift receipt so she could return it if my choice didn't suit her taste.

In one aggravated motion, I firmly hung up blouse number one hundred back on the rack. _Ugh!_ I felt as though someone was depending on my expertise to perform brain surgery. "Impossible," I decided and inhaled deeply to try to calm myself.

Then it hit me.

That fragrance…that mouthwatering scent…it was absolutely intoxicating!

Spinning around, I desperately looked for the source of the aroma. I knew immediately, it was something I had to purchase, if not for Alice, then for my own personal pleasure. To my utter shock and amazement, the fragrance was emanating from this waif of a woman who was leisurely browsing through a rack of clothes opposite of my own. I was transfixed. Her hair, long and dark, cascaded down her back in soft, silky ringlets with one side casually clipped behind her ear. I immediately felt the urge to run my fingers through her long glossy tresses and lose myself in its softness. As if she could hear my thoughts, her thick lashes raised and the deepest, darkest, most beautiful eyes I had ever seen looked up at me. I could feel my soul being pulled and absorbed within the depths of those chocolate orbs. I was having an out-of-body experience as I felt my feet levitate from the ground, guiding me to the very vortex, the peacefulness…the endless depths of her eyes. In that moment, I knew that heaven must exist because surely I was in the presence of one of its angels. I was smitten when I saw her lower her head with a shy smile, as the most beautiful rosy hue slowly radiated across her cheeks.

My pulse quickened. I broke out in a cold sweat. I could hear my own breath catch in my throat as I took one conflicted step in her direction. My body decided before my mind could catch up, that it was determined to meet the essence of beauty standing only a foot from me. I exhaled in hopes of calming my excitement before speaking.

_Oh. My. Sweet God in heaven!!_ My knees literally buckled and a smoldering, burning flame ignited deep within me as she unconsciously parted her mouth and licked those full succulent lips, leaving a delectable moist sheen in their stead. "Unghh," I moaned.

_Seriously_…I literally moaned!

The moment was lost when a sales clerk interrupted my adulation by asking the young woman if she needed any help. With a quick glance in my direction, she timidly shook her head "no" stepped to the register, rang up her items and headed to exit the store.

I panicked.

Then a voice in my head, as clear as my own said, _"You want her don't you? Admit it."_

It was true. Never in my entire life had I wanted a thing or a person more than I wanted this woman. The pull toward her was inescapable…unexplainable.

I had to meet her.

I had to have her…to possess her.

_Possess her? Why did I think that?_

I was actually frightened by my own emotion.

_"Take her…" _the voice demanded, _"make her yours."_ At that juncture, I was too fixated on the object of my desire to question the words coming from my own mind. My only concern…my only objective…was to meet the woman who was two steps away from walking out of my life forever.

I desperately pushed through the racks and nearly ran to the exit. The unnamed woman had just stepped outside onto the sidewalk when I spotted her hurriedly walking deeper into the business district.

Shadowing her every move, I asked myself, "What the hell am I doing? This is insane." But it was too late. I could not resist the desire to be near her…to feel her warmth. I was lost in the need to make her my own, as the impending addiction to her very essence lurched forward to consume my life, my very being. The worst part of this compulsion was…I welcomed it.

Never allowing my eyes to leave her, I bumped into a man on the curb as I rushed pointedly across the street in the direction of an Italian restaurant. The mysterious beauty anxiously glanced at her watch before slipping through the eatery door. _"Volterra,"_ I murmured out loud before grabbing the handle and pushing through the entrance behind her.

"Good afternoon…welcome to Volterra's. How many will be dining?" The hostess asked before looking down at her seating chart.

Distracted, I almost missed the question. "Oh…uh…how many? Just one, thank you," I stammered, never fully making eye contact as I visually scoured the room hoping to hone in on the object of my desire.

"Right this way sir." Grabbing a menu, the hostess ushered me to a table near the back then asked me for my drink of choice once I was seated.

"I'll have water with lemon," I requested. After advising that my waiter would return with the water and to take my order the hostess departed. I opened the menu given to me with a façade of reviewing the lunch choices.

With a purposeful look around, I scanned every dark-haired woman in the room, hoping to find _my angel_. Feeling a bit apprehensive, I suddenly contemplated that I was mistaken. Did the brunette beauty I followed actually enter this particular establishment?

"Where could she have disappeared to?" I groaned anxiously--louder, in fact, than I actually intended.

"What was that sir? Were you waiting for someone else?" Placing the glass of water on top of the table the waiter had arrived to take my order. Fidgeting with his pen and pad he continued. "I can bring out another place setting if you aren't dining alone."

"No. I am alone. But…well. You see, it's like this...about five minutes ago, a woman entered this restaurant. She was very petite with long dark hair and chocolate eyes…stunningly beautiful. Kind of the girl next door type--_with a kick_. You know…the sort of woman that makes you say, _WOW!" _My eyes opened wide and glazed over as a visual image from moments before flashed across my mind.

"Would you happen to have seen her?"I knew it was a long shot to ask, but I was desperate. I felt a little awkward asking for the whereabouts of some unknown woman to a total stranger. I threw all reason out the door as I prayed that this man had caught a glimpse of the angel that was slipping through my fingers with each passing moment.

With a knowing look and an unspoken understanding, the waiter nodded his head in affirmation. "Yes sir, I definitely have. There's only one woman in this building that fits _that_ description," he emphasized with a hint of his own desire. "She's in the back looking through the inventory."

_She's here!!_

_Thank goodness._

"So, she works here?" Strange, I thought to myself. I never would have envisioned a woman of such beauty and delicacy stocking shelves.

"No sir. She doesn't actually work here at this particular restaurant. Bella helps manage the entire chain of _Volterra restaurants_ located throughout Seattle," he explained, while unknowingly disclosing her identity.

_Her name is Bella…beauty…of course!_

"Is there any chance I could convince you to introduce me to _Bella_?" I asked with a guarded tenor to my voice.

The waiter suddenly took on an air of nervousness when he observed the hundred dollar bill that I was discretely sliding in his direction across the table. With a look of confliction and temptation in his eyes, he placed his right hand on the nape of his neck, ran his fingers through his hair then exhaled. "I can't," was his answer. "I could lose my job."

Frustrated at his financial loss, he continued, "Miss Swan doesn't take kindly to people interrupting her while she's working. Neither is she receptive of being asked out, if you know what I mean," his posture stiffened as he reproachfully reflected.

I understood exactly what he meant. For some reason, the idea of this man asking Bella out on a date irritated me to no end. Refusing to allow him to see my ire, I pressed on with my questioning. "Well, that certainly puts a damper on things. If she doesn't work here, could you at least tell me where her place of business is located?"

With his own look of irritation, the waiter momentarily sized me up as I concluded he was trying to determine if I actually had a better chance than he did of winning Bella's attention. To soften the blow, I again slid the money toward him, which this time he finally pocketed.

"I believe the office is somewhere off highway ninety-nine…Fifth and Wall Street," he directed. "Will there be anything else?" Looking at other tables in his station, he impatiently shifted his weight to the other foot. "Maybe I could bring you an appetizer to get you started."

Flipping open the menu, I named the first item I read. "I'll have the _Bruschetta Volterrana_ for now, thank you." Nodding and notating my order on his pad, the waiter quickly walked to the back to hand it off to the kitchen. I decided to wait until Bella completed her tasks there at the restaurant before I left. I needed to see her one more time and ensure that the waiter had not mistaken her for another woman. Pulling out my cell phone, I hit number six on my speed-dial. I decided there was a certain event that must be put into play before I left Volterra's. The phone rang once then picked up.

"Yes sir," was the only response…as usual.

"Mr. Demetri, I need your services," I stated.

"Of course sir," he responded.

"Take this down. A Miss Bella Swan…possibly Isabella Swan…works for Volterra Italian restaurant. I need the exact location of the office where she works. It may be somewhere near Fifth and Wall street if that helps. How soon can I expect to have this information?" I insisted. "And Mr. Demetri…it's personal this time."

"Understood sir. Expect a text no later than seven," he ensured.

"I will." We ended the call and I was encouraged to know that by this evening, I would have one more piece of information about the woman of my dreams.

Fifteen minutes later and two slices into my appetizer, Bella appeared. It was her. The same woman from the department store, who had dismantled my entire resolve and sensibility with her smile, was standing there whispering directions to the head chef. I had to restrain myself from jumping out of my seat and interrupting her conversation with an introduction.

_There she is you fool. Take her! What are you waiting for?_

My temples began to throb as the unknown voice in my head from earlier appeared once again to taunt me. I couldn't understand where it came from…why it whispered such wretched things. I prayed that it would stop. Maybe if I concentrated hard enough the voice would disappear. Confused, I rubbed my forehead as I subconsciously tried to push the voice and the pain out of my mind. Bella's sudden movement jarred me back to reality as another impulse to be near her washed over me again.

Fearing the backlash of her response after being warned by the waiter that any romantic approaches, especially while she was working, were unwelcomed; I decided to wait and orchestrate a more suitable place and time for our first meeting. Bidding the staff members farewell, Bella headed to the front of the restaurant only to pause long enough to hand the hostess an invoice before leaving.

Placing a folder containing my tab in front of me, the waiter suddenly reappeared and visually followed the intense direction that my eyes were locked upon. "Satisfied?" he questioned.

"Immensely," I said matter of fact then slipped a bill into the folder before rising out of my seat. "You've been more than helpful," I half-heartedly praised. Sliding around the table, I gave a cursory nod in his direction then headed for the door.

"Good luck sir…you're gonna need it," he sarcastically commented behind me. Being the type of person that made his own luck, I didn't waste my time acknowledging his snide remark. I was certain that before week's end, Bella Swan would know of my existence and I would use every resource in my arsenal to sweep her off her feet!

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At exactly six-fifty-nine, my cell phone notified me that a text message was available. Like clockwork, Mr. Demetri had concluded his findings and forwarded the results to my cell. After reviewing the text, I was pleased to learn that he not only provided Bella's office address, but he also included her phone number, home address, work schedule, and make and model of her vehicle as a courtesy. Grateful, I notated to myself to include an extra bonus in this month's paycheck for his thoroughness and efficiency.

A week had passed since that first encounter, but I still hadn't introduced myself to Bella. I wanted to know everything about the woman who had so thoroughly captivated me. I was intrigued. Yet I was not as ready to meet her as I originally thought I was. Using the information provided to me by Mr. Demetri, each day, I was able to watch her from afar. Yes…it was borderline stalking…but I wanted to study her, make sure I understood her interests, her behavior, before I eased myself into her life. The last thing I wanted was rejection, I reasoned. It only made sense to familiarize myself with her habits likes and dislikes, before I attempted to broach the question of asking her out. I knew from experience you had only one chance to make a first impression. I was determined that my first chance would be astounding. There was no margin of error that I would allow myself to screw up this initial "chance meeting" with Bella. I had only one opportunity to impress her and I hoped it would be enough to get her to go out with me. In my world, failure was not an option.

"Ten-fifteen," I announced to myself. It was time for her second cup of morning coffee from what I concluded was her favorite coffee house, located on the corner of a busy intersection. Bella frequented the same place every day before lunch and I knew she was due to arrive at any moment.

_Ah…there she is._

Right on cue, she appeared. Turning her head both ways to check that traffic was clear, she took a careful step off the curb to safeguard her balance. In my observations, I had discovered that she was slightly clumsy, but this made her even more endearing in my eyes. Today, she was wearing a pair of grey slacks that clung to her hips nicely and a blue V-neck fitted sweater that showed off her every curve and made her breasts appear even tauter. I was fascinated at how her skin tone seemed to illuminate against the color of the fabric making her look like a rare china-doll of unique color and quality. With each careful step that she made in her low inch heels, the ponytail on her head swayed back-and-forth. I struggled to contain the urge to run to the crosswalk, scoop her up and let my lips travel against her fragile neck and delicate jaw-line that was so conveniently on display.

Having arrived ten minutes before Bella, I had already taken a seat outside the coffee house, so I could observe her approach up close and personal. I had made up my mind that the day would not pass without meeting her. The night before, I had formulated a plan to casually walk up to her and strike up a conversation. In my one week of surveillance, I had learned some of her particular interests that I was sure would give me a platform to carry on an intelligent discussion and impress her.

More than half-way across the street, I watched as Bella was jarred out of her concentration by a voice yelling her name from directly behind me. Slightly unnerved, she dropped the notebook she was carrying and quickly bent down to retrieve it.

_It all happened in an instant. _

I heard the rev of an engine as I whipped my head around to find, in horror that the car in question was not going to stop at the light. Before I could rationalize what was happening, I had already thrown my chair back and dashed toward the slight figure that had just stood up to finalize her last steps across the street. The look of terror in her eyes was not one I would soon forget. Trembling, yet frozen by fear, she was barely able to let out a small cry before I slammed into her, pulling her body on top of me before rolling toward the curb.

After letting out a slew of expletives, I heard the death machine screech down the street as the sound of its engine faded in the far distance. Before I could clear my head, my senses were again engulfed by the same delicious fragrance, as I further felt the warmth and slight weight of a body lying on top of mine. Not feeling any movement from her slender form alarmed me immediately.

"Are you alright?" I said, panicked. "Please…say something. Are you hurt? Can you move?" I begged. Fearing to touch her beyond what I was already doing, I rubbed the hair of her ponytail off her face and slowly tried to lift my own head to get a better view.

"Ow…Jesus," I cursed in discomfort. The back of my head throbbed as I realized that I must have hit it on the curb when I landed. Fluttering her eyes, Bella's head moved against my chest as I suddenly felt her whole body come alive in an instant.

"Wha…what happened? Oh my God!" As the realization of the fortuitous events of the last moment flooded her mind, she quickly tried to lift herself off my chest. Unprepared to be separated from her and a little more than concerned that she was injured, I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and enfolded her in a more protective grip.

"Careful…don't move too soon. Are you in any pain?" I was determined to make sure she wasn't hurt before releasing her. Although I knew I took the brunt of the fall, Bella just looked so fragile, I was fearful that the impact of our bodies had injured her somehow.

Nervously shaking her head, she answered in a wavering voice, "No. No…I'm fine. But, oh my God…what about you? Are you hurt? Did that car hit you! I smell blood. Are you bleeding?" Her body trembled against me and I began rubbing circles on her back to try to calm her. I thought she was going to hyperventilate if I didn't do something soon.

"Shhhh…it's alright. I'm fine. You're fine. We're both okay. It was just a close call and the only injury is my stupid bump on the head. It's nothing," I soothed.

Before she could respond, a crowd of people gathered around us asking about both our well-being. Releasing her from my grip, I pushed my body off the curb and stood, bringing Bella up with me. Without completely letting her go, I allowed us to be ushered to a table at the coffee house to be seated. The worker who had obviously befriended her and whose voice it was that abruptly got her attention, brought both of us a cup of water and me some ice for my head.

Grateful, I thanked him for his thoughtfulness before turning back to Bella who had been sitting there in total silence. "Are you sure you're okay? I could drive you to the hospital to be examined. I think you may be in shock," I pressed. In my mind, I refused to allow anything else to happen to her, not when I had just found this angel. The urge to guard Bella with my life was now in full force and I had unconsciously charged myself to be her protector, always.

Looking up at me, her jaw momentarily unhinged before speaking, "You jumped in front of a car to save my life, injuring yourself in the process, and you're worried if I'm alright?" For some reason, she was mortified. "I was such an idiot. You could have been killed! Why did I have to bend down to pick up that stupid notebook? There was nothing written on it in the first place. I should have known better. God, that was so dumb!"

I didn't like hearing her berate herself for something that simply wasn't her fault. I wouldn't allow it. "Please, don't say that. You did nothing wrong. The light was still yours when that car came at you." I mentally kick myself as I realized my words caused her to relive the moment of nearly being killed. Her eyes widened with fear and I knew I had to think quickly before she became upset again.

"I'm Edward by the way. Edward Cullen." As I reached out my hand, I smiled genuinely as I watched the raw emotion of surprise travel across her face. We both had forgotten to formally introduce ourselves after all the commotion. I was certain that she was especially embarrassed since she had yet to tell her rescuer her given name.

Grabbing my hand to shake, her whole face turned beat red as she responded, "Isabella Swan, but please call me Bella," she admonished sweetly.

"Bella it is," I agreed. Failing miserably in my attempt to restrain myself, I allowed my eyes to roam across every inch of her face before stopping at her lips. The urge to kiss her was so overwhelming; I actually shifted in my seat to camouflage my knee jerk reaction to do so.

Lifting my eyes to hers, I was overcome with emotion when I found her staring directly into my own as if she were trying to see into my soul. For a brief moment, I felt emotionally naked, if there was such a thing, and I wondered if she knew that I had been following her for nearly a week.

Sounding a bit unsure of her next words, Bella hesitated before finally speaking. "Please don't take this as a line, but somehow I think I know you. I mean…of course I don't _know_ you, but I'm sure I've seen you before today." Her eyes darted back and forth over my features as if she were trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle. I never considered how intuitive Bella would be, so I quickly tried to redirect her thinking before she figured it out.

"Have you now?" I asked. Being a man who recognized his window of opportunity, I continued, "Well then…seeing that we're already so acquainted, maybe it won't be too absurd if you'd allow me to take you out sometime? After all, you practically groped me on the ground a minute ago. Dinner is the least thing you can do to make it up to me." Completely thrown off balance, I waited as the full force of my words sunk in. With a twinkle in her eyes, I watched as her mouth formed into a huge smile that simply melted my heart on the spot.

"You really must have hit your head pretty hard back there, Mr. Cullen. I think you're delusional. Oh and by the way, you'll know when I actually _do_ try to grope you. I don't think you'll be sitting there looking so smug either," she challenged.

My heart skipped a beat as I briefly considered what that would be like. Recovering quickly, I pushed my advantage, "So, is that a yes?" I insisted.

Smiling shyly, she looked deep into my eyes and simply stated, "Yes," before glancing away.

In that moment, I was so happy, so relieved, I almost missed hearing the voice that had been whispering deep in the back of my mind the whole time. With sheepish grins on our faces, we both exchanged numbers before bidding each other goodbye. As I stood there watching her walk away in the distance, the voice that I had successfully locked away earlier finally broke through. In one word it stated what I had been feeling about her all week.

_Mine!!_

And then it was gone.

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Tossing my keys on the table, I quickly walked to the bedroom and searched through my closet for something to wear tonight at Newton's. Not that I cared one way or the other how I looked to Emmett or Alice; I wanted to appear as irresistible to Bella as I possibly could. Before the night was over, regardless of what scheme Alice had in mind, I intended to have Bella all to myself and show her with unspoken words how much I loved and trusted her.

Knowing that the evening would end on a high note (at least for Bella and me) my mind couldn't help but drift toward Emmett. He wouldn't be at all happy that I brought Alice up to speed on everything that had happened thus far. But this gathering was for Emmett's own good and after all, Alice loved him as much as I did. Anything that happened tonight would have been planned with his best intentions in mind. No. I would not drive myself insane trying to figure out what plot my little sister had concocted this time. I would trust her judgment and let the cards fall where they may.

Satisfied that the evening would be a success, I pulled off my shirt and headed to the shower. Tonight, Bella and Emmett would be my only focus and I was determined to make sure each of them knew I would always be there for them unconditionally…no matter what the cost.


	5. Chapter 5 Newton's

Chapter 5

BPOV

My lips were still tingling from Edward's totally unexpected kiss. Whatever irritation I may have had toward him earlier that day, melted away in the smoldering passion of his embrace. Walking out of my bedroom after agonizing over what I'd wear that night to Newton's, I heard a strangled breath and, completely unprepared, was swept up into Edward's grasp in the next moment. His arms were so strong, yet gentle as he encircled them around my waist and pulled me hard against his muscular frame. Letting out my own sigh of desire, I threw my arms around his neck, stood on my tip-toes and attacked his lips with a deepened kiss. Both our longing, which had built up over the course of the day, was raw and now clearly exposed.

_Mmmm…he tastes so good,_ I thought to myself.

There was something about Edward that was so delicious…so intoxicating, that I lost all thought and reason every time he pulled me near. Before Edward, I'd never met a man that radiated confidence and sex appeal just by walking across a room. It seemed that everything he did left me panting and giddy like a fourteen-year-old school girl. Not until Edward came into my life had I ever felt so loved…so protected and revered. He was more than I could have dreamed of having for myself. Some days I was so filled up with love for him, I feared that my body was too small to contain it all. I could never understand it, but it actually pained me to be away from him; Edward's arrival to pick me up from work this afternoon, reminded me of that discomfort as the relief of having him near washed over every ounce of my being.

"Bella. God…you're so beautiful." Edward was practically purring in my ear. I was wearing a mahogany sweater dress that Alice had picked out for me on one of her weekly shopping sprees and leather knee-high boots to match. I had to admit; the dress fit perfectly and accentuated my body in all the right places; especially with the cute silver chain belt firmly clasped around my waist. When Edward called me up to see if I wanted to go out with him this evening, I was planning on wearing jeans and one of my usual comfy tops. But after seeing him step out of his Volvo looking practically edible, I knew there was no way in the world I could throw on a ratty t-shirt and jeans if we were going anywhere near Alice. She'd kill me where I stood for allowing Edward to out "diva" me on a date. So, upon arriving at my apartment, I dug in the back of my closet and pulled out the bag Alice had labeled _Winter Wear: Use For Casual Emergencies Only_, and rushed to get dressed. I could have kissed Alice for picking out an outfit that would elicit such a response from Edward. However, as he began to lick the perimeter of my earlobe, I knew the timing wasn't right for this particular grope session.

Begrudgingly, I tried to pull away from Edward's embrace without much success. "Didn't you say we had to be there no later than seven?" I asked him, in between being kissed.

"Mmm-hmmm," he murmured in my ear while tightening his hold on me. "Yes. But if Alice expects us to ever be on time for one of her engagements, she'd better stop buying you dresses like this one," he reasoned as he traced feather-light kisses up and down my neck.

As much as I would have loved to remain in Edward's embrace and be ravaged by him, I knew there was a reason for the gathering tonight and my curiosity was getting the better of me. Edward promised that he'd tell me everything regarding the mystery surrounding Emmett on our way to meet with the others. So with great effort and control on my part, and a promise to pick up where we left off later tonight; I reined in my libido and allowed Edward to help me into my jacket before heading out.

By the time we pulled up to Newton's Bar & Grill, I was paralyzed with shock. Edward's account of the events of the past few days completely caught me off guard. I couldn't even unbuckle my seatbelt. I just sat there stunned…completely silent.

"Bella? Sweetheart…say something." Edward was actually getting concerned about my mental state. I knew I had to respond before he assumed the worst.

With a hesitant voice I questioned, "Carlisle, had an affair? He had another child out of wedlock? Our Carlisle?" I was totally dumbfounded.

"Apparently so." Edward's jaw clenched before continuing, "Evidently, the affair occurred not long after Emmett was born. According to Emmett, Jacob looks to be close to his age."

I could tell that Edward was fighting hard to remain emotionally neutral. After all, he loved both Emmett and Carlisle and would never want to choose one above the other. This whole Jacob fiasco would be just the thing to cause a rift within the Cullen family if action wasn't taken quickly to resolve it. Knowing Edward as I did, he had already considered this and called Alice as a last resort to intervene before things got out of hand.

"So, have you met him yet?" I was curious. The idea that Emmett had another brother--albeit, from a different mother--was surreal. Of course Carlisle was physically capable of having another child, after all, he fathered both Emmett and Alice; but Carlisle was the kindest, caring, most selfless man I had ever met. It just didn't make sense for him to have another child outside of his marriage. His love and loyalty to his current wife, Esme, was unwavering. It was completely out of character for him to have done something like this.

Without answering, Edward's eyes followed the valet attendant as he quickly trotted to the driver's side door and took the Volvo keys in exchange for a ticket. Making his way to my side of the car, Edward held the door open and offered me his hand as I tried to stand. Taking a step up, I wobbled slightly as I placed a high-heeled boot on top of the curb. Leaning into Edward for support, he tightened his grip around my waist and escorted us both to the door. Turning my body toward himself, he brushed the wind-blown hair out of my face and finally responded to my question, "No. I haven't met Jacob," he stated flatly. "Not yet anyway. I believe Emmett is the only one that has seen or spoken to him since his arrival in town. But we can't concern ourselves with that at this moment. Emmett is walking an emotional tightrope and tonight is all about bringing him down off that wire safely."

I nodded in complete understanding. As big and strong as Emmett appeared to be physically, he was the biggest teddy bear of the group. Everyone knew--except Emmett himself--that he used his physical attributes to camouflage the gentle side of his personality, which always came to the forefront when it concerned his family or especially Rosalie. I was determined to do my part tonight in helping Emmett sort through this emotional maze. "Don't worry Edward. I know how much this is hurting you to see your brother and Carlisle on the verge of a fight. But just trust him…no, trust both of them to work through this. They love each other and no matter what has happened in the past, Carlisle is a good man. He has always been there for his family and I know he will do everything in his power to keep everyone together."

The hard-line of Edward's jaw suddenly soften as he took in my words of encouragement. Bringing his lips to the top of my head he gave a thankful kiss and allowed me to hold and comfort him. His body momentarily relaxed in my embrace, but suddenly jerked in surprise as his cell phone rang.

Without looking at the caller ID, Edward flipped open his phone, "Yes Alice. We're here and standing outside the door as we speak," he grumbled while rolling his eyes toward the sky.

"You two get your touchy-feely butts in here _now_!" I heard her yell through the phone.

Sighing, Edward hung up and placed the cell back in his pocket. "Ready?" he asked, then rubbed a cool finger against the side of my cheek.

"As I'll ever be," I sighed. Kissing me firmly, Edward opened the door and we walked inside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The dim lights and crowded bar did not distract me from noticing that way in the distance, a tiny body was bouncing up and down, while being held firmly in place by her male companion.

"Oh Alice, what am I going to do with you?" I whispered to myself, shaking my head and smiling at the sight of her. My best friend in the world was frantically waving, beckoning Edward and I toward their table as if we couldn't see her petite frame practically standing on top of the chair. As we approached, I could hear a high-pitched squeal that only Alice was notorious for making when she was having one of her fashion moments.

"Eeeeek!! I knew it!! I knew it!! Do you love me or what?" she demanded, while visually inspecting every millimeter of my body.

"Yes Alice. I love you," I exhaled noisily. I really did love her, of course. Only she could take a toad and turn it into prince charming. Alice was truly a miracle worker and after being under her fashion tutelage for about a year, my presence and self-esteem had improved substantially.

Using her finger, she made several circular motions in the air. "Now turn around…let me see how you look my little grass-hopper," she ordered. Snickering at my cursory twirl, Alice clapped her hands together in open approval. "Oh Bella, you're absolutely gorgeous! Then again, you really could've done more with your hair, but still…you're a knockout! Isn't she Jasper?"

Smiling more at Alice than me, Jasper agreed, "I have to admit Bella that dress you're wearing is definitely a winner. But then, my Alice has the best fashion sense of anyone I've ever met. You're lucky to have her as your personal consultant," he teased.

"Oh Jazzy…you say the sweetest things!" Batting her eyes and walking her two fingers up Jasper's chest, Alice clasped the bottom of his chin in her small hand and pulled his lips to hers for a quick sensual kiss. Blushing profusely, Jasper's eyes went all dreamy before shaking his head to regain his composure.

"Well then, if the fashion police is finished interrogating Bella, I'd like to start this evening by ordering everyone a round of drinks. What would you like to have my love?" Grateful for the interruption, I anxiously asked Edward for a glass of chardonnay. Considering I was still unnerved by the conversation he and I just had about Carlisle, I wanted to relax before the events of the evening unfolded. A glass of wine was just the remedy I needed.

After taking everyone's order, Edward disappeared toward the bar. "Alice," I began. "Edward told me about…you know, Jacob." I was never any good at waiting for the right moment to bring up a subject, so I wasn't surprised that Alice was already prepared for my comment.

"Don't you mean my new half-brother Jacob?" she corrected. "I can't say that I'm not disappointed with Dad for allowing his existence to be revealed in this manner; but I'm not going to pass any further judgment until I get to the bottom of this whole situation. There's more to Jacob being here than just some lascivious affair. I just know it! "

Alice was the most clairvoyant person I knew. If seeing into the future were possible, she would be the person with that ability. Somehow, I believed she was right. There was definitely something off about this whole 'clandestine life of Carlisle' revelation. One didn't have to be a soothsayer to see that the future would soon reveal many secrets from the past. Presently, my only concern was how Alice and Emmett would feel about Carlisle once everything came out in the open. Would they ever accept the idea of having another brother? Could Emmett ever forgive his father and carry on their loving relationship? Not having seen Emmett in over a week, I was curious to know how he was holding up.

"So, where are Emmett and Rosalie? They _are_ coming tonight, aren't they?" I wondered out loud while looking around.

As if on cue, the crowd of bodies in the bar parted and each of us watched as Rosalie sauntered across the room in her three inch heels, mid-thigh high leather skirt and skintight v-neck blouse, which accentuated her all too perfect curves. Her long blonde tresses swayed in time with her hips and virtually every guy in the room fell victim to an immediate case of whiplash as their heads jerked around to get a glance at the Amazon that had graced their presence. Following far enough away to allow Rosalie to flaunt her wares, yet close enough to discourage any guy eager to make a play for her, was Emmett.

We all knew that nothing pleased Emmett more than watching guys drool over his girlfriend, knowing that Rosalie would verbally castrate anyone who dared to try and approach her. And for those men who were potential eunuchs, Emmett was more than ready to physically remove them from her presence if they got out of hand.

"Well, well, well…look who finally crawled out from under Edward's sheets. It's been a while Bella, how's it going?" That was Rosalie. She always accused me and Edward of acting like rabbits in heat, in order to distract from the fact that she and Emmett were real life nympho-maniacs.

"Can't you ever give a simple hello Rosalie?" Alice interrupted.

Chuckling at the exchange, Emmett walked around the table and pulled me into one of his big bear hugs. "What's up Bella? Damn…you're looking mighty good tonight. I can't believe that little brother of mine would leave you alone for one minute dressed like this. He must already be drunk," he joked.

Clearing his throat, Edward and the waitress made their presence known then began placing drinks on top of the table. Slipping her what I knew was a hefty tip, Edward discretely asked the waitress to keep everyone's drink fresh throughout the night. Nodding with eager understanding, the waitress left and Edward slid in the chair beside mine, placing his hand lovingly against the small of my back.

Hanging the jacket that he had been carrying for Rosalie on the back of her seat, Emmett reached across the table and grabbed a beer before flopping in the chair next to her. "So ladies and gentlemen, what are we toasting to tonight?"

Raising his own bottle of beer, Edward began. "Let's toast to friendship…and family." Peering through narrowed eyes, Edward waited for any negative response Emmett might have displayed upon hearing the word "family." Receiving none, Edward took a sip of his beer.

"I'd like to make a toast as well," a melodic little voice interjected. "To friendship…family…_and_ newly discovered relationships that are worth exploring!" Alice defiantly finished.

Silence fell over the group, as each of us watched to see if Alice's comment would register. "What the…" Emmett breathed. Darting his eyes from Alice to Edward, the full force of meaning behind her toast sunk in. "Oh hell no!! Edward, tell me you didn't talk to Alice?" he demanded, before slamming his beer on top of the table. "Is this what this gathering is all about? Jacob? Damn it Edward!! I can't believe you'd bring Alice in on this!!" Clinching his fist and rising out of his seat, Emmett looked as if he were going to explode at any moment. "I swear to God, I'm gonna…"

Grabbing his arm, Rosalie immediately cut in, "You're not going to do a damn thing Emmett Cullen, but sit your happy ass down and listen to what Alice and Edward have to say!" Pointing her manicured finger directly in the center of his chest, Rosalie dared Emmett to open his mouth to speak another word. "If you think for one minute that I or any one of us is going to watch you throw away the greatest father-son relationship that any person could ever have with their parent, you're crazy!"

Opening his mouth, Emmett tried to get a word in edge-wise, "Oh no! Not another word," she ordered. "Emmett baby, I love you, but sometimes you can be a real dumb-ass did you know that? I mean really, consider how I feel for just one minute, knowing that my big strong boyfriend is too much of a pansy to face his own father about a half-brother he never knew." Flipping her hair over her shoulder then inspecting her nails, she finished, "For crying out loud…this is Carlisle we're talking about. Just talk to him and stop being such a wimp!"

Leave it to Rosalie to cut to the chase. Tact was never one of her strong points.

"Em," Jasper drawled. "Alice brought all of us here together to support you, not to gang up on you. Isn't that right darlin?'" Alice could always depend on Jasper to defend her virtue, not that she needed it, but hearing that Emmett wanted her to remain in the dark about Jacob's presence really set her off.

"That's right Jazz. And for the record, I wouldn't need a group of people to help me knock some sense into you Emmett! This gathering was only to remind you that you're not alone in this…_we_ are not alone in this. Do you understand what I mean?" she implored. "You're not the only one affected in this equation and you have no right to exclude me from knowing the truth!"

I couldn't stand it any longer. It broke my heart to watch Alice and Emmett so conflicted over Jacob, that their relationship was being strained. Alice especially was more emotionally charged than usual. Not even Jasper's persistent ministrations on her back could soothe the indignation that was welling up in her small frame. I had to say something to off-set the tension in the air. "Emmett, not that it mattered, but I was shocked just like everyone else to learn of Carlisle's other son." Opening and closing his fist, Emmett peered directly at Edward knowing that it was he who spilled the beans. Trying to distract him with persuasion, I continued, "As horrible as it sounds, it doesn't change the fact that Carlisle is still one of the greatest people I've ever met. You can't overlook that fact, no matter what he may have done in the past."

Taking the opportunity to drive the point home, Alice leaned over the table to ensure that she was heard over the noise of the crowd. "That's right Emmett; Dad is a great guy. You should let him explain what happened before you go off half-cocked and completely shut him out of your life. Admit it! You know I'm right!" Crossing her arms against her chest Alice frowned and waited for his response.

Feeling the pressure from everyone at the table, Emmett's defensive posture began to slump. Wrapping a large hand around his beer bottle, he slowly drained the last remnants before speaking. "Alice, I'll admit it. I guess I _should_ give Dad a chance to explain. I can at least afford him that much, but nothing else," he reluctantly agreed. "And I absolutely refuse to deal with that arrogant son-of-a-bitch Jacob! He just showed up on my doorstep like he owned the place--asking to know where Dad lived; as if I owed him some favor just for being alive. I don't care if he is my half-brother, I don't have to deal with him and not one person in here can make me!" he objected. Resolved in his decision, Emmett smirked at both Alice and Edward as if to say _So, take that!_

Suddenly, Alice's eyes became wide as she looked across the bar then back at Emmett, displaying her own self-satisfied smirk. "Oh yeah Emmett…wanna bet?" she retorted, before twirling around and literally skipping across the bar. Before I could asked Jasper where she was going, Alice virtually launched herself in the direction of a well-built guy, clearly looking as if he were trying to find someone.

With several bounces and a few animated gestures' of her arms, Alice pointed at our table before taking the unknown man by the hand and dragging his large frame across the room towards us.

"Holy hell!! Shit!" Catching sight of the pair walking in our direction, Emmett knew he had been out-witted, again by our pint-sized Einstein. "Edward, I'm going to get you for this! Did you know he was coming?" he accused. "Did you and Alice plan this?"

"Em, when do _I_ ever help Alice plan anything?" was all Edward said, while raising one eyebrow in question.

Emmett knew that Alice never needed anyone when it came to executing one of her "plans." Usually, both of them were on the receiving end of it, not the orchestrating end, so Emmett decided to let this one go. "Ok…sure. But you still shouldn't have told her. You knew exactly what that manipulative little pixie would do once she found out, and you told her anyway! Shit. I can't believe she invited Jacob here tonight!"

As Emmett continued brow-beating Edward for his part in this ordeal, I watched in utter fascination as Jacob and Alice maneuvered their way through the crowd toward our table. The closer they approached I noticed how Jacob's expression suddenly became veiled, as if putting on an emotional shield of armor. I was amazed at how relaxed he appeared, in fact, I was impressed. Completely outnumbered, Jacob stepped in closer, without hesitation as Alice began her introductions.

"Jacob," she began giddily, "this is Jasper, Bella, Edward (our other brother), Rosalie and you already know Emmett," she recited in a quick breath. Without hesitation she continued, "Everyone, this is Jacob Black…our brother."

Nodding his head once in acknowledgement, he remained standing until Edward cut in. "Jacob, why don't you pull up a seat. We've already ordered some Heinekens, but the waitress should be over soon to refresh our drinks if you'd like something else."

"Thanks," he said, before dragging another chair to the table and sitting down. Grabbing a beer, Jacob raised it to his lips, swallowed then glanced across the audience of people who had his fullest attention. I was a little surprised when his eyes stopped on me and stared, as if trying take in all my features at once. I could have sworn I saw a slight reaction on his face, but changed my mind as he looked away toward Emmett who was pouting in his seat like a spoiled child.

I took that moment of distraction to really look at Jacob. He was naturally tan, with jet-black hair, dark almond-shaped eyes, and a perfect set of pearly white teeth that looked like he purchased from a cosmetic dentist. Of course, he was obviously tall. In fact, he was at least Emmett's height, maybe even taller. He definitely worked out or did a lot of manual labor, because he was really buff. Any woman with twenty-twenty vision or less could see that Jacob was hot (especially if she was into the rippling-muscle kind of guys, which I certainly wasn't, though I could appreciate them all the same). A great body was definitely another thing he and Emmett both had in common. Unlike Emmett, who loved to flaunt his physique, Jacob didn't come across as the least bit concerned about his looks. His whole aura was so laid-back, that I wondered if he even cared. Finally, I couldn't help but recognize the familiar set to his jaw line that he, Emmett, Alice and Carlisle all shared. The family resemblance was unmistakable. There was no doubt that he was Carlisle's son. That decided, I couldn't help but wonder what ethnicity Jacob's mother was, since his main features were so clearly exotic and in stark contrast to Emmett's.

Breaking the awkward silence, Rosalie attempted to strike up a conversation, "So…Jacob, where are you from? What do you do for a living? Not to be pushy, but we're all dying to know something…anything about you other than the fact that you're related to Carlisle."

Cutting his eyes between me and Edward, Jacob looked back at Rosalie, sized her up then responded, "I'm from La Push. It's a small town right outside of Seattle. You'd probably pass it before even realizing you drove through it. I live on the reservation out there. I own a garage...where I fix up cars and other vehicles. Well…it ain't much, but it's all mine just the same," he announced with an air of pride.

"Wow! You own your own business?" I was intrigued. Even Rosalie seemed interested. She loved anything that had to do with repairing cars. Adjusting myself in my seat, I gave a quick glance at Edward before continuing, "I've always wanted to start my own business too. In fact, I've been doing some research on the issue. So tell me, was it hard getting started?"

Looking even more relaxed, if that were possible, Jacob smiled at the knowledge that at least two people at the table were impressed by his revelation. "Well, getting started wasn't the only hard part. Keeping it up and running was the real challenge. I'm the owner, operator, employee and accountant all rolled up in one. I guess some days are better than others," he finished, shrugging his shoulders.

Of course Edward saw this as an opportunity to address his concerns with my entrepreneurial inquest, "Yes sweetheart, and take Jacob's advice. Starting and running a business is very difficult and stressful. There's a lot of frustration and disappointment in being self-employed. You may want to think about those factors before you get too carried away with the idea of it," Edward interjected.

Before Edward could continue, Jacob quickly countered, "Hey, don't get me wrong it's a lot of hard work, but at the end of the day it's very fulfilling to know that all my blood, sweat and tears were for my own benefit. That's all I'm saying." Looking me directly in the eye, he read the relief in my face after he clarified his point.

Just then, a ruckus of voices pierced through the crowd and an irritating laugh that I'd recognize anywhere suddenly became ominously near. "Hah! There she is!! Hey Bella…is that really you?" the aggravating voice asked.

_God. Of all the nights for him to show up…Why this night?_ I cringed inwardly to myself.

Mike Newton.

_Ugh!_

Mike and I had attended high school together, and he made it incessantly clear to the entire student body that he liked me and would one day make me "his girl"--once I got my head on straight. Since those high school days, Mike went on to open up a few bar & grill's around the area (this place being one of them) and gainfully found some measure of success. Mike had an excellent management team working for him and he rarely had to come in to check up on things except to make the occasional appearance. Unfortunately for me, tonight was just that occasion.

Out of breath, he beamed, "My God Bella, look at you! You're absolutely breath taking! Come here… give me a hug! How long has it been? Five…six years maybe?"

Edward looked conflicted as he watched Mike lift me by the hand and pull me into an intimate embrace. Of all the days for me to make Edward promise to work on his overreacting ways, I now regretted that it had been today. I'd have given anything to see him lose control and save me from the meat hooks of Mike Newton that were slowly inching their way down my back.

Finishing the platonic one-two-three pat on his shoulder, I quickly pushed my way out of Mike's embrace before responding, "Mike…I see you haven't changed a bit after all these years." He really hadn't. He was still as annoying as ever.

Completely ignoring everyone else at the table, he continued, "Yep. I guess I'm lucky to have good genes. I still look as good as I ever did back in high school," he bragged…completely deluded. "But you Bella…Wow! Who knew you'd turn out to be such a knockout?" Literally drooling, Mike openly began staring at my breasts as he continued droning on. "We would have made a great team you and me--you with the beauty and me with the brains. As you can see, I've done pretty well for myself over these past few years. I bet you're impressed with me now."

Before I could respond, a voice that I wasn't quite used to hearing boomed across the table. "Hey Mike…if you're looking to impress someone, then you can impress me by bringing me another beer. You _are_ the owner right? Do you stock this place with anything other than this foreign shit? I mean really. What does a guy have to do to get a Coors in this place?" Jacob placed both elbows on the table, exposing his muscular arms in what was obviously a show of force, before finishing, "Seriously man, you should really think about buying American. Now what about that Coors?" he insisted with a growl.

Mike, never being a man of courage, for the first time looked around the table and noticed all the faces openly glaring at him. To save face before slowly slinking away, he offered to bring a round of American drinks to our table, on the house of course, in honor of our reunion. "Any friends of Bella are friends of mine! Now enjoy the rest of your evening." Backing away, Mike turned on his heel then disappeared.

"Asshole." Leave it to Rosalie to sum up Mike in one word. "Bella, you really need to start picking better friends. That guy was a snake."

"Believe me, he was never a friend of mine back then or even now, "I insisted. "And Jacob, thank you for running interference for me. Mike was always a hard person to get rid of. That whole 'buy American' thing was ingenious," I praised.

"No big deal. And I wasn't joking either. I really do prefer American beer to any of that foreign crap." For the first time since arriving, I saw a twinkle in Jacob's eye as a smirk slowly began to form over his face giving me a momentary window into his personality.

"Yes Jacob, that was very gallant of you," Edward admitted, looking a little dejected.

Grabbing Edward's hand, I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I knew it took great exertion for him to hold his tongue while Mike was around. I wanted him to know how much I appreciated his efforts and thoughtfulness in staying true to his promise from earlier today. Understanding my unspoken thank you, he brought his hand to my cheek, leaned in, and kissed me sweetly on the lips.

Angling himself closer and speaking for the first time since his arrival, Emmett turned to Jacob. "Yeah, yeah…that was really great. So _Jake_, exactly when are you leaving Seattle?" he interrogated.

"Leaving?" Alice quickly interrupted. "You can't leave! You just got here!!" she complained.

"I've got no reason to stay any longer than necessary," he shrugged thoughtfully before continuing, "wouldn't want to wear out my welcome any more than I already have." Frowning, he looked directly at Emmett, who was looking hopeful after hearing Jacob's response.

"Well…don't let us keep you from getting back home. I'm sure you have loads of responsibilities just waiting to be handled with the business and all," Emmett said, with artificial concern.

Completely irritated, Alice rolled her eyes before cutting in, "Hmpt! Jacob…just ignore him," she encouraged. "Anyway, you can't seriously be considering leaving so soon? You haven't given us a chance to get to know you. You _are_ my brother…and if you leave now, who knows when you'll come back. It's just not fair!!" Poking her trembling lip out in a pout and batting her tear-stained eyes, Alice began to release the full force of her manipulation. Jacob didn't stand a chance.

Shifting in his chair uncomfortably, he quickly glanced around the table at everyone's expression before settling back on Alice's now completely pathetic looking face. Obviously feeling like a heel for upsetting her, he nervously raked his hand through his hair and gave in. "Uh…well…I guess I could stick around for a couple of more days. I am sorta caught up on all my work back at the garage," he reasoned, hoping to placate her.

Bouncing incessantly, Alice quickly turned off the water-works and squealed with satisfaction. "I knew you wanted to stay! This is going to be great! You can come over to Dad's house tomorrow. Mom is cooking and has invited all our friends and the entire family over for dinner; and since you _are_ family, you can come too! Don't worry, Mom is a great cook and loves having the company. Oh, I'm so excited!"

Looking a little nervous for the first time tonight, Jacob grabbed the bottle of Coors put in front of him by the waitress and took a long swallow. "Don't worry Jacob," Edward began, "it really will be great. Everyone will be on their best behavior and it will give you an opportunity to get to know us and have some of your questions answered. You obviously came here seeking something. Returning home this early won't do you or any of us any good."

Edward made perfect sense, and Jacob knew it. With a nod, he silently agreed to stay and give it a chance. Watching him out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that his veiled expression had returned and I wondered what his true feelings were about meeting all of us tonight. Although Jacob's face was an emotionless mask, his eyes revealed an unspoken confusion and sentiment. Alice was right, there was more to Jacob Black's being here than meets the eye and I hoped tomorrow's dinner would disclose some of those reasons for the sake of Jacob and the entire Cullen family.


	6. Chapter 6 Scotch on the Rocks

Jake's Pov

While riding in my truck, my stomach flip-flopped just thinking about what I needed to do. Carlisle had no idea that I was on my way to confront him about being my father. Conflicted, I wondered if I'd just punch the guy's lights out or welcome any sign of remorse on his part. I knew I'd make a last minute decision either way. There was one thing that kept running through my mind all morning long and that was the dream that I had the night after my visit with Billy in the hospital. I just couldn't relax while wondering whether or not Carlisle was going to accept or reject me. Damn…this was just so frustrating!

Rubbing my temples, I felt as though I was going insane remembering all the lies and scandals from my past. I hated how those painful memories had come back to the forefront of my mind. The last thing I needed was to have my reason obscured right before making my big _appearance._

Surprisingly, the noon sun was actually trying to peek out from behind the clouds. I silently prayed that this was a sign of brighter days ahead—somehow, I really doubted it. As I approached the exit for Carlisle's house, I began having an internal battle concerning my decision to confront him. "No, no, no! You can't back out now," I debated with myself.

Billy was right. I needed to go ahead and do what I had to do. Too many years had gone by as it was. Somebody had to be a man about it. Somebody needed to make the first move. But how was I supposed to handle all of this? I hated not knowing. The more I contemplated the answer, the more questions began to take over my mind. Should I approach him with a smile? Should I say nice to meet you? Or should I get to the real part of my question…_Where the hell have you been all my life you no good bastard!!_

I was just so angry, but I knew if I let my temper get the best of me I might just scare the guy off before we even got started.

What I still didn't get was how could he possibly cut all ties to a woman that I'm totally sure he was in love with? Couldn't he have at least found a way to check up on my mother? Obviously he's a smart man…a doctor for Christ's sake. Hell, he could have just written her a letter…

_My Dearest Love, _

_Heard you had a baby by me. Hope you and it are doing fine. _

_Warmest regards,_

_C_

"That would've at least been something!" I growled between clenched teeth.

Really, I could care less about the reasons he was forbidden to come on the reservation anymore. He still had pen and paper to use!

The tension kept crawling up and down my spine as the muscles in my back flinched in response to my heightened anxiety. Taking a left-hand turn into a really glitzy neighborhood, I shifted continuously in my seat and began chanting over again, "Breathe Jake, just breathe."

After finally arriving at Carlisle's house, I took in one last deep breath and got out of the truck. Closing the door and stuffing the keys in my back pocket, I was taken aback by the huge structure in front of me.

"Whoa…dang…this house is sweet!" I said a little too loudly. Reining my excitement back in, I shook my head slightly, trying to get my thoughts back into focus on the task at hand. I was still unsure how I would approach the situation. So I decided to be neutral…not looking happy or pissed off.

Still, some part of me didn't want to ring the doorbell, didn't want to deal with any more hurt or possible rejection. Before I lost myself in that train of thought, I reflected back to Billy and how he taught me to "man up" when it came to facing my fears. So I sucked it up, pressed the button, and waited for whatever emotions or words that would come flying my way.

As I stood there silently waiting, my heart skipped a beat when I heard footsteps leisurely approach. Without looking outside, Carlisle opened the door with a smile and I noticed an air of cheerfulness emanated in his expression. Immediately, his jaw unhinged and his eyes became wide with shock as he took in my face. I could tell that he recognized a few of my features, because he suddenly realized that I was part of a past that had finally caught up with him. Noticing his inner turmoil, I thought back to the days on the reservation when people always said that my mom and I shared many similar features. Most folks joked about me looking like I was plucked straight out of her DNA. The only exceptions were the shape of my face and my tall frame. Not to mention, I always had a naturally strong, muscular build.

_Hmmm…funny…the more I look at Carlisle the more I see my own physique_, I inwardly compared.

Relishing in the pleasure of seeing confusion on his _pretty_ face, a slight smirk began to form on my lips as I vindictively thought, _The past is a bitch ain't it Carlisle!_

Reining in my evil thoughts, I decided not to be rude although a part of me enjoyed watching him struggle with what to say or do next. Besides, I was taught better than that by my mom and Billy. So I extended my arm for a handshake and casually introduced myself. Apparently, my actions broke him out of his trance because he shook my hand, cleared his throat, and invited me in.

Normally this type of thing wouldn't happen. A man didn't just invite a stranger into their home simply because they came to his door and introduced themselves. But, the tension between us was thick with the knowledge of who I was and what Carlisle was to me. There was no need to state the obvious.

As I walked into the house I couldn't help but notice all of the unique oil paintings that lined the walls of this massive home. Expensive vases were everywhere, along with what I figured to be…a huge black grand piano?

_A baby grand would be swallowed up in this humongous space,_ I silently considered. The entire room was so…flawless. I honestly was in awe of the place. It was just so different from what I had growing up.

Walking with measured steps, Carlisle led me into the living room to take a seat on the nice plush sofa. I sat down and noticed he was already standing next to a fully stocked bar in the back of the room. With a sad look in his eyes he offered me a drink and I gladly accepted the offer. If there was ever a time when I needed a drink it was now and I had a feeling he needed one just as much as I did. Normally I was a beer man, but today…that just wasn't potent enough to relax my mood. "I'll have a Scotch on the rocks," I called out as I saw that he already had his hand around the bottle of my choice. Damn! How did he know that's what I would've chosen?

Placing the lid back on the bottle, Carlisle walked around the end table, handed me my drink, and sat in the single chair adjacent to the couch. The only sound in the room that could be heard was the clanging of ice cubes hitting against the fancy glasses we were holding. Both of us desperately took a long swig of the brown liquid and it burned the back of my throat as it went down. I closed my eyes with my head tilted back and let out a hard sigh. I knew that my face looked angry as my eyes returned to stare directly back at his. The tension in the room was thick, so I started the conversation before my emotions threatened to flare uncontrollably.

Since I wasn't sure where to begin I blurted out the first things that came to mind. "Had anyone ever hinted to you that mom had a baby back then? Did you even know that she was pregnant? How could you possibly let anyone come in between the love the two of you shared?" My voice escalated after each interrogation.

Carlisle closed his eyes as I spoke. He winced every time a pointed question was asked. As Carlisle shifted uncomfortably in his seat, I found that I didn't enjoy making him squirm like I thought I would. To my surprise, he gave me the opportunity to rant and rave without any interruption. His patience and the remorse that showed in his eyes brought me down a peg or two. Although I wanted to keep my anger fueled, deep down inside I knew that I couldn't put all the blame on him. All of the frustration I'd been holding onto was not entirely his fault. He was a victim in this just as much as I was.

Each angry outburst was met with silence. Carlisle never answered my questions as I kept going on and on like a mad-man. I genuinely didn't want to miss hearing him disclose his version of the truth, so l slowed down my tirade. I knew I wouldn't catch his entire story if I allowed my anger to burn out of control; so I decided it was time to back down. Regaining my composure, I was still a little rattled and felt the need to pace the floor. I got up and stood in front of the tall windows on the other side of the room. Staring out, I attempted to take another sip from the glass I still had in my hand. Unfortunately, all I tasted was watered down alcohol. Grunting at the flavor, I suddenly heard Carlisle ask me if I wanted another round. Looking over at him I noticed that he had already returned to the bar to refresh his own drink, so I gave an affirmative nod in response to his offer.

Walking back over, he handed me a fresh glass, and I sat my old one down on a nearby table. We both sipped slowly and stared out the window for a moment. Feeling myself relax a little, I made my way back over to the sofa. Carlisle returned to his chair as well and I knew it was time to hear his side of the story. As he began to reveal his portion of the past, I subconsciously leaned forward with my elbows resting on my knees. The pain in his voice was evident and right then I knew that the sadness my mother felt all those years was equal to what he had been harboring all this time as well.

At the end of my visit, I felt that a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. There was no doubt that Carlisle was my father and to some degree I felt whole for the first time knowing that I had found the other part of me. He was a good man who had been cheated out of a piece of his family and I felt a sense of peace knowing that I left him with hope of someday becoming close.

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CPOV

It was good to finally be home.

I was thrilled that the medical convention downtown finished the last of its gerontology series this morning. I had hoped that Esme would have been here when I arrived so that I could take her out to a pleasant lunch; but she was probably shopping for dinner items at the local market. I knew Esme hadn't expected me to return this early in the afternoon and knowing my beautiful wife, she was planning a surprise intimate dinner for two.

Hearing the doorbell ring caught me completely off guard. I could only imagine that it was one of the kids coming over to check up on their mom. They were all so protective of Esme that I never had to worry about her being alone for too long whenever my job pulled me away.

Hanging the last of my suits in the closet, I turned off the bedroom light and headed to the front door. I had surmised that it was probably Emmett standing on the other side, since it was he who always forgot the key to our house to let himself in. Knowing that he would be standing there with one of his classic sheepish grins, I silently chuckled to myself then pulled the door open wide.

_Oh God…_I inwardly prayed.

_It…couldn't be…_

_Jacob. _

_My Jacob._

There he was…a man…yet, a perfect reflection of his mother. He was beautiful…my son. _My child._ I always knew this day would come. No. I always prayed that someday he would come to me, but I never imagined…never conceived that it would be this day. My God, he looked just like his mother. I could feel my heart tearing into a million pieces as I stared into this masculine duplicate of the first woman that I ever cherished more than my own life.

If ever I questioned whether a higher power existed, all doubts left me as I stared into the face of my long lost son—reveling in the magnificence of his existence.

The shock of seeing Jacob standing there utterly unnerved me. The emotional ramifications of his presence completely paralyzed all movement and sound that I would have made. I was taken aback when Jacob smiled—rather smirked, as he took in my reaction. In that moment, I couldn't help but think of how his expression looked just like Emmett's. Reaching out his hand and introducing himself—not that he needed to—Jacob's action quickly jolted me back to reality. Standing aside, I beckoned him in and closed the door.

While taking in the expanse of our home, Jacob's whole demeanor, although controlled, told me that he (as well as I) needed a drink before going any further. After guiding him into the living room and offering him a seat, I quickly strode to the bar and asked him his drink of choice. I hoped that scotch would suffice, because Emmett and Edward had drunk all of the beer on their last visit.

After filling the second glass with scotch, I inhaled deeply in preparation for what I knew was to come. My son needed answers, but more than that, he probably needed to vent his frustration and disappointment at not having me in his life. How was I going to explain something that I truly didn't understand myself? Where should I even begin? How much of the truth does he already know? More importantly, was it safe for him to be here…with me, even after all these years?

Grabbing both glasses, I walked over to Jacob who was already sitting rigidly on the couch. Wanting to sit far enough away to allow him space, yet close enough to show he had my full attention, I chose the seat adjacent to the couch. I knew Jacob needed a moment to collect his thoughts before the onslaught began. So, like him, I drained the majority of the scotch out of my glass and waited for him to set the pace.

The large living room seemed to narrow and the air began to thicken as Jacob's emotion and irritation began to rise. Each question poured out of him with such ferocity that I knew better than to interrupt his tirade until he was ready to hear the answers to his own questions. Listening to the hurt and pain in his voice tore me apart.

Watching him was like looking at that eight-year-old little boy standing by his mother's grave so many years ago…confused and wondering why this was all happening. That was the first day I ever laid eyes on my son. I hid in the shadows and prayed that no one would see me there. I had to say goodbye to Jacob's mother in my own way. I quietly begged her forgiveness and promised to keep Jacob safe by never becoming a part of his life. Closing my eyes, I knew that I could no longer keep that promise now that my son was here.

Jacob needed me…and I needed him as well. So I quickly sent another prayer up to his mother and asked that she continue to watch over him and keep him safe as she always did.

Time stood still and the day seemed to take on a surreal feeling. As he walked across the living room, Jacob calmed downed considerably once his anger ran its course. After refilling our glasses, I stood next to him by the window and stared out at the rare afternoon sun. I could feel that he was ready to listen to me, no matter what the answers to his questions would be. Returning back to the couch, Jacob looked at me with uncensored expectation as I took my seat, inhaled, and then began.

Leaning in, Jacob listened intently as I retold the story of how his mother and I met. "I loved your mother, Jacob. She was my life," I confessed. His eyes softened when he heard these words and I realized that he needed to know that his mother was truly loved.

Never taking his eyes off of me, Jacob watched as I explained my marriage to Emmett's mother, our separation, and the powerful family that I had unknowingly married into. I knew that I couldn't explain it all to him in one day, but I needed Jacob to know that I always wanted him, always wanted his mother and only the risk of their lives and safety would keep me away. Yes…I had been cryptic in disclosing the events of the past to Jacob, but I had resolved myself to use this first meeting to reassure him of the eternal love I had for his mom. Silently, I vowed to tell Jacob the whole truth as soon as the opportunity arose.

Shaking hands again, we walked to the front door. Jacob nodded when I told him that I would make myself available to answer any further questions that he might have before returning to La Push. Standing in the front yard, I watched as Jacob strolled around to his truck, opened the door and gave one last glance in my direction before pulling out of the driveway.

After walking back into the living room, I collapsed on the couch as the fear and emotions of our meeting poured out of me. "Oh Jacob…" I breathed. "Son, I am so sorry."

Balling up my fist, I cursed as anger replaced hurt. I began to consider the ramifications of Jacob's unexpected visit and contemplated what I would do if the wrong people ever found out. So many feelings ran through me as I suddenly found myself biting my clenched fist, remembering a past that had never really been forgotten.

As the afternoon sun began to set, darkness fell over me as my mind flashed back to a time where heaven and hell existed in the same space. The eternal love for a woman and the hatred of a powerful family was the perfect recipe for disaster. Sitting there in silence, reflecting on the past, I wondered what the future would bring. Whatever the result, I knew I would fight for Jacob…my son…and no power on earth would keep me from him ever again.

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Jake's POV

Lying on my back in the hotel room with my head deeply etched in the pillow, I tried to sort through everything said during my conversation with Carlisle earlier today. Closing my eyes, I could still see the many expressions he carried on his face as we revealed our versions of the truth to one another.

Even though I was still hurt and angry a large part of my emotional baggage had subsided after finding out Carlisle was forced to keep away from me and my mom. One thing's for sure, he was truly sorry for all that had happened in the past. Funny thing was…I didn't expect to see a good man behind all the pain. Clearly, he'd been carrying around this burden for years. As we said our goodbyes I noticed relief wash over him and my heart felt the same. "Nothing like getting the truth out in the open," I quietly thought. It was then that I realized the time had come to finally forgive Carlisle.

Looking back, I knew forgiveness was what mom wanted me to do in the first place. Besides, I still had a great childhood with lots of friends. To be honest, growing up on the reservation wasn't the worst thing that could have happened to me and it's not like I didn't have Billy around to teach me about being strong and taking care of family. At least as a child I had an excellent father figure who set good examples for me to follow.

Feeling better about the situation, I realized I sat up too quickly on the bed as my head began to throb. Unfortunately, the drinks I had at Carlisle's had worn off and now a headache was forming in its place. Moving too fast just wasn't a good idea because I immediately felt dizzy. I began slowly massaging the temples on both sides of my face in an attempt to ease the pain.

"Oh well," I spoke out loud. You know what they say…the only way to cure a hangover is to keep drinking. "Maybe I'll go downtown and grab another drink to clear my head," I finally concluded.

Sitting up on the bed, I debated whether or not to go out or just sleep off my hangover. I jerked after hearing the sound of a faint buzzing noise. "Ugh…Crap! Now my head is buzzing too?" I groaned.

_Oh, wait...no…it's my cell phone_, I reasoned with the relief of knowing I wasn't entirely drunk.

Looking around to determine where the sound was coming from, I remembered I put it in my front jean pocket. Standing up, I pulled the phone out and read the screen. "Who the heck is calling me?" I questioned, as the words on my cell phone read unknown name.

_Great...probably a telemarketer_, I thought. Damn, didn't I put my name on the 'don't call list?'

Deciding to answer the call anyway, I said hello and the sweetest sound answered me in return. "Um…hi," said a fairy like voice. "Is this Jacob? Jacob Black?"

"Uh…yeah, who wants to know?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well…my name is Alice Cullen and you met my brother Emmett the other day. So…since Carlisle's my father too I guess that makes me your half-sister," she said with glee. "I know you and Emmett have already met, but _I_ didn't get my chance to meet you." Sounding a bit dejected, she spoke as though she were truly hurt.

"Umm okay…" was the only response I could mutter as I tried to rub away the throbbing feeling in my skull.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you would come and join me, Emmett, and the rest of our friends at a place called Newton's Bar and Grill downtown. I'll buy you dinner and everything," she offered. She seemed to be quite persistent when wanting to get her way and since she _was_ family, I felt we should at least meet before I headed off back home.

I had to admit, it was a whole heck of a lot easier to talk with her than Emmett. He actually reminded me of myself when I got thoroughly pissed off about a situation. I suppose if someone came to my house with a story of being the long lost love child between his father and another woman, I'd be more than furious too. Guess I can't blame him for that one.

In my heart, I knew the importance of meeting everyone I was related to. But, I didn't want emotions to flare up between me and Emmett, considering the news I broke to him wasn't that long ago. The guy probably needed more time to digest the whole situation. He definitely wasn't very happy to see me the other day and I didn't want to come off as a troublemaker to everyone else. I simply came to Seattle because I felt I deserved to know the whole truth of what happened so many years ago.

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I ended my call with Alice and assured her I would be there around seven-thirtyish. Since I had a few hours to burn I decided to take a quick nap and shower up afterwards.

As time went by I called downstairs to the concierge and requested that they have a taxi ready to take me downtown. _Afterall…I wouldn't want to be caught drinking and driving in my new Chevy!_

I took the elevator down to the lobby and went outside and saw that the cab was ready and waiting. I hopped in and gave the driver the name of the restaurant. He quickly sped away onto the main freeway after I offered him a nice tip to get me there on time.

_Man…it's hard to believe just hours ago I was standing in Carlisle's living room sippin on a few glasses of Scotch…now I'm about to have drinks with a half-sister I just met over the phone._

The taxi pulled up to Newton's as requested. I paid my fare, got out, and walked inside the bar. It was actually a really nice joint with the usual dim lighting and loud music. There were quite a few folks in the place. I scanned the crowd to see if I could see her among the masses, but I remembered Alice said she would be looking out for me. All of a sudden I caught a swift movement in the corner of my eye and was immediately 'assaulted' by this cute little lady with a huge smile on her face. I could only assume it was Alice.

"Hey…Jacob?" she questioned excitedly. After confirming my identity she breathlessly continued, "I'm so glad you decided to show up!" Quickly grabbing my hand, she pointed and said, "We're sitting right over there. Come with me." With one forceful jerk, we were in motion. What really amazed me was how strong this tiny girl was. She was actually pulling me through the crowd without any effort. Everything happened so fast I didn't even get a chance to officially introduce myself to her.

As we made our way to the table I had to regain my composure so I wouldn't appear too emotional. I knew all eyes would be on me tonight and in the deep recesses of my mind I chanted to myself…_show no fear!_

Alice finally released my hand as she made her introductions of everyone sitting at the table. I didn't want to sit down until I was officially invited—so I just stood there. Luckily, the guy named Edward was kind enough to offer me a seat and a beer.

_Hmpt…I definitely need that and more to get me through this night,_ I thought to myself.

Anyway, I pulled up a chair, grabbed the bottle and took a long swig of beer. I looked around at everyone staring back at me, but the person that really stood out was Edward's date, Bella.

Wow…she was stunning! I probably let my eyes linger a little too long but she had such beautiful long chocolate brown hair I just couldn't help myself. Her eyes matched the color of those lovely locks and her flawless skin was like that of a porcelain doll. She had the most beautiful set of uneven lips I'd ever seen. I just knew if given one chance to kiss her...she would be mine. Everything about this girl completely drew me in. _Mmm…nice,_ I secretly admired.

I kept my eyes moving until I got to Emmett—who looked as though someone beat him to the punch and grabbed the last cookie out of the cookie jar. _Poor dude._ I smiled to myself. This whole situation must be real hard for him.

Before I could finish my assessment of Emmett, his girlfriend quickly interrupted my thoughts. I took a quick glance at her and noticed that she too, was an absolute knockout. _I mean damn!!_ _This girl is hot!_

She had hair the color of cornsilk and her body was like something out of the Sports Illustrated magazine..._swimsuit edition!_ But, I was never really into women who were _that_ extremely outspoken and by the way she was grilling me I knew she wasn't my type.

"So…Jacob, where are you from? What do you do for a living? Not to be pushy, but we're all dying to know something…anything about you other than the fact that you're related to Carlisle," she interrogated without batting an eye.

In a nutshell I told her and everyone else at the table that I was from a small town called La Push and I owned my own garage…yadda yadda yadda. Something I said must have piqued her interest because I noticed she forked an eyebrow at my mention of working on cars and such.

Apparently, Rosalie wasn't the only person who was curious about something I said. Bella spoke up and seemed quite interested about me owning my own business. I smiled; glad to know that she was unconsciously giving me a chance to admire her beauty once again. I made sure to give her the best advice I could offer about first starting out, since she mentioned her interest in researching a business venture for herself.

Edward didn't seem quite so enthused about her wanting to go that route and I could tell he was verbally trying to sway her thoughts against it. I personally didn't see what was so wrong about her wanting to be independently wealthy. In the back of my mind I kept thinking, _If she was my girl I'd be helping her get exactly what she wanted._ Anyway, I decided to politely interrupt his little rant and give her a few words of encouragement.

Seconds went by when I heard some guy Bella used to know come over talking loudly about not having seen her in five or six years. Watching the whole thing, I noticed Bella wasn't exactly happy the dude showed up and she gave him the ole 'I don't really want to touch you' pat on the back and hug. This guy had idiot written all over his face and he kept trying to make himself out to be the pick of the litter. I mean c'mon! Did he really just start talking to her breast? I just couldn't take much more of his constant chatter, but I wanted to give Eddie Boy a chance to speak up first since he was her boyfriend. Apparently he didn't have the nerve, so I decided to interrupt the dude before he made any more of an ass out of himself than he already had.

The only thing I could think of to get rid of that annoying little jerk was to hit him where it hurt and that meant embarrassing the hell out of him. Laughing to myself, I thoroughly enjoyed calling him out about his bad taste in beer. On top of that, other people heard the conversation and began turning their heads and looking at their own beers. Glancing around the table, I swore I noticed Emmett carrying a slight smirk on his face. Even though he still didn't want to acknowledge I was sitting at the table, I knew Emmett totally agreed with me about that Mike character.

_This night was turning out to be a real hoot after all,_ I thought to myself.

I was feeling pretty damn good at that moment and I could see that Bella was relieved knowing somebody told that guy off. She definitely needed rescuing and I was more than happy to oblige.

My smile faded a bit when Emmett finally spoke up after being quiet most of the night. He was quick to shoo me off back to where I came from, but my newly discovered half-sister was not having it. Next thing I knew she and Edward had ganged up on me and I was invited to dinner with Carlisle and their mom Esme. To be quite honest, I really didn't feel the need to stick around since I only told myself I was just going meet with everybody at least once. But of course, "little Alice" had to get her way and I knew she had everyone—now me included—wrapped around her tiny finger.

Since it was getting late, the gang started giving hugs and saying their goodbyes. I assured Alice that I would attend the family dinner and she nicely offered to take me back to the hotel. I thanked her for the gesture, but decided I would stay there at the bar a little while longer.

As I mulled over today's events I couldn't help but reflect back on the talk I had with Carlisle earlier on. I just couldn't get it out of my head on how some things just didn't make any sense. My curiosity about all the things left unsaid was getting the better of me. Somehow I would just have to find a reason to stick around, because apparently more of the truth was waiting out there for me.

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The taxi ride home was surprisingly quiet compared to the chaotic day I just had. Although the effect of the alcohol was causing me to relax, there was an anxious feeling of uncertainty stirring around in my soul.

In my deepest thoughts, there was something still bugging me. What the hell could it be? Certain things about this whole situation just didn't add up and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. This prompted yet another round of mental questions that needed to be answered. Why in the world would so many people go out of their way to meddle in my parent's lives? What could have possibly started the chain of events which led both Carlisle and me here to this point?

I'd always understood that it was nothing new to _not_ have a parent in a child's life for whatever the reasons were. But it just didn't make sense. Too many people were involved to keep Carlisle and me estranged and ensure that he would forever be banned from La Push. Looking out the taxi window into the night, the city lights slowly began to lull me to sleep as the passing buildings began to blur. Before giving in to the feeling and drifting into an inebriated slumber, I vowed to have these questions—and others like them—answered before I permanently left Seattle. In that quiet part of myself—somewhere between being a child and becoming a man—I knew I would someday vindicate both my parents with the truth.


	7. Chapter 7 Don't Talk Just Listen

Chapter 7

EPOV

Grabbing Bella's jacket, I waited as she hugged Alice and Rosalie goodbye. It was late, and for the most part, our gathering at Newton's had been a success. While the girls were chatting with one another, I took that moment to walk over to Emmett who was still sulking over the unexpected invitation that Alice had extended to Jacob.

"Em, are you all right?" I questioned. He had been quiet–partly from shock and partly from fear of Rosalie's wrath–since the moment Jacob agreed to attend the dinner at Mom and Carlisle's house. I realized that Emmett felt as though I had crossed the brotherly line in backing up Alice's invitation. But after all, the whole purpose of this night was to intervene in the self-destructive path that everyone knew Emmett would take if he didn't acknowledge that Jacob was his half-brother.

Biting down hard on his teeth, I watched as his jaw flexed in and out before speaking. "What the hell do you think Eddie? Do I look fuckin' all right to you?" was his response.

Pushing back from the table and grabbing the glass filled with liquor unfinished by Rosalie, Emmett swallowed hard in one gulp then rounded on me in anger. "Listen. I know you and Alice think that inviting Jacob to Mom and Dad's house tomorrow will warm me up to the idea of having another brother. But you're both sadly mistaken. This night doesn't change anything. Do you hear me Eddie? Nuthin!"

Cutting his eyes at Jacob, who was currently declining Alice and Jasper's offer for a ride back to his hotel, Emmett sneered before continuing. "And one more thing little Bro…you're not as clever as you believe yourself to be. I knew it was just a matter of time before you told the little puppeteer over there that we both had a new half-brother.

"It's not like Alice has to concern herself with the idea that Dad cheated on _her_ mom. Of course she would be accepting of Jacob! I had already braced myself for that little piece of reality. So let me make just one more thing crystal clear…I will NOT be so forgiving of this whole affair if _Carlisle _doesn't have one goddamn good explanation for Jake's existence. You got it?"

Pushing his two fingers in the middle of my chest, Emmett easily moved me out of his way and marched toward Rosalie who, was already drawing a visual crowd from the men sitting at the bar. Kissing Alice on the forehead and shaking Jasper's hand, Emmett quickly threw his arm around Rosalie's shoulder, ushered her toward the front door then disappeared without a backward glance.

"Unbelievable." My brother was definitely one hard nut to crack. Although I knew some of the armor of Emmett's doggedness in accepting Jacob's existence was chipped away; I couldn't help but question whether tonight's gathering did more harm than good. Chalking it up as a win, I decided that it was a good sign that Emmett hadn't backed out of dinner at mom's house—especially after knowing that Jake would be there too.

Turning my attention back to my love, I couldn't help but admire her even more so after this evening. What did I do to deserve such a woman? Throughout the entire night, Bella was by my side, lending her strength and love to me, knowing that it was eating me up inside watching the strain this whole ordeal was putting on my family. Without missing a beat, Bella extended her support to Emmett by pointing out his unreasonableness in closing himself off to Carlisle before even giving him a chance to explain.

Watching her throughout the night reminded me once again of why I was obviously the luckiest man on earth. I knew that Bella was shocked about Carlisle's extra-marital affair (if indeed that's what it was), but somehow, she managed to reign her emotions in and lend her support to everyone involved.

Regrettably, I couldn't help but notice how Bella stared at Jacob. At first, it unnerved me to see her looking so intently at him when she thought no one had noticed. I only hoped that she was sizing him up, trying to see a resemblance between Jacob and Carlisle that would confirm his paternity. At least, that's what I kept telling myself—even after I noticed Jacob's initial gaze lingering one moment too long on my Bella.

My first response—which I immediately knew was the wrong one—was to pull her closer into my side, plant a passionate kiss on her lips and dare Jacob to look in her direction again. But after seeing how hurt Bella was earlier today by my reaction at the bus terminal, I was a bit more hesitant in allowing my instincts to take over. I had, after all, promised her that I'd attempt to be reasonable in my actions from now on.

_Reasonable. _

_Yeah…right…_

Was it reasonable that I only sat there, while that little worm of a man, Mike Newton, practically molested my girlfriend in front of me?

Was it _reasonable_ that I remained silent…and didn't wrap my hands around his perverted little neck for staring at my angel's breasts—undressing her with his eyes, with no regard for propriety or respect for me as her man?

And what kind of man was I tonight? I just allowed it to happen! Heaven knows I wanted to take the last of Mike's useless piece of existence and squeeze it out of him for disrespecting Bella in front of everyone. It pained me to the essence of my masculinity to watch another man—Jacob—come to the rescue of _my_ girlfriend.

_He must think I'm an absolute coward!_

But what was I to do? Bella practically begged me to never humiliate her again by allowing my _overbearing_ ways to run out of control. How could I deny her anything? I couldn't stand it if I ever made her cry again.

So I just sat there, like an impotent bastard—without so much as a response—and watched as one man groped my girlfriend and the other man defended her honor right in front of me! I should change my given name to 'Fuckward' for being such an utter screw up tonight!

_Dammit!!_ _Bella must think I'm a complete jerk for allowing her to be left vulnerable to such a vile scoundrel as that Mike character. How could she trust me to take care of her when all I did was sit there like an idiot and watch the entire lascivious events unfold?_

Looking across the bar, I noticed a set of beautiful doe eyes worriedly glancing in my direction. Tightening my grip around Bella's jacket, I irritably pushed a chair aside and strolled to where she was standing near Alice and Jasper.

Picking up on my unsettledness, Bella stepped toward me and leaned her small body into my side. Wrapping both arms around my waist then lifting her lips close to my ear, she attempted to whisper to me above the noise of the bar. "Is everything okay?" she wondered, while rubbing a warm hand up the length of my back.

"Just peachy," I stated with a trace of unintentional sarcasm.

Furrowing her brow, I watched as she mentally 'let that one slide' and I knew she would insist that we discuss it later. Turning her back toward me, she held out each arm as I helped her into her jacket and placed a slight kiss on the cheek when done. Giving Alice one last hug goodbye, I directed Bella toward the door and searched my pockets for the valet ticket to retrieve my Volvo.

A bit distracted in my search, I didn't notice that Bella had stepped away from me in an attempt to flag down a valet attendant. Glancing around, I honed in on her whereabouts and was immediately infuriated as I observed a lingering patron seductively approach her with a proposition of a ride home.

"What the hell!!" I snarled under my breath—my nails dug deeper into my palm, as I painfully clenched my fists.

A wave of astonishment encased me in grip of uncontrolled fury. I felt as though someone had poured salt into an already open wound. My head began to churn with anger as the pressure of my own rage threatened to unravel the last thread of control I was dangling from. I could feel my body quake as the unreleased hostility, which had been building the entire night consumed all reason within me. I rubbed my temples in a pitiful attempt to afford relief, as the feeling of daggers being pushed into my skull threatened to overtake me. Inhaling deeply, I questioned whether I was going to self-combust.

My ears rang and I raised an unsure hand to the side of my head in an attempt to muffle the sound. From out of nowhere, I heard a repugnant voice scream out with venom and unquestionable authority.

_Get away from her! _The voice demanded.

Peering intently in their direction, I was confused by the man's lack of acknowledgment. In response, I found myself hesitating before taking another irate step forward. I couldn't believe it. He made no attempt to move. How could he have not heard the horrific voice that was so clearly issuing a direct command to back away from my Bella? Feeling completely incensed, I rushed to put a stop to any further advances he would make to my girlfriend.

_He'll take her from you…make him get away from her now!_

Stopping dead in my tracks, the realization that my lips had not been the one to mouth those last words (nor anyone else's) besieged me immediately. _My God…who just said that? _I couldn't prevent myself from feeling uneasy by the unknown voice that was beckoning me to intervene and the fear of not knowing where it came from.

I was actually…frightened.

The need to claim Bella as my own and the trepidation of hearing a voice stemming from no clear source was unnerving. Frozen by my own confusion, I was not prepared when the valet attendant approached and asked me for my ticket. My eyes narrowed and my hand twitched nervously as I watched while he accepted it before jogging away.

Feeling myself decompress, I was relieved to have heard the attendant speak; since it was clear, in this particular case that he was the one that had mouthed the spoken words. In that moment of clarity, I decided it was best to stand back and watch Bella offset any further advances from the overly desirous man—as it appeared she had already done so.

_Coward! What kind of a man are you?_

_Isn't she yours?_

_What are you waiting for? _

_Coward!! _

"Enough!" I quietly roared through gritted teeth. And then…in an instant, the taunting voice suddenly disappeared. As relief began to encompass me from the silence within my own head, Bella approached at the same time the Volvo was being pulled up to the curb.

"Edward? What's wrong? Are you alright to drive?" Concerned that I may have had too much to drink that night, Bella offered to drive us back to her apartment. Ordinarily, I would have declined, but my unexpected inebriation appeared to be the only logical explanation for the sudden break with reality. The voice was coming from inside of my own head. I shuddered.

Graciously accepting her chauffeuring services, I handed the attendant a tip then held the driver's door open while Bella slipped inside with the key. Adjusting her seat and mirrors, she shot me a concerned glance before turning the ignition and revving the engine.

Securely fastened within my own seat, I laid my head back, closed my eyes and gave in to the lull of the car as it methodically relaxed my being. Noticing a warm hand placed over my own, I raised it to my lips and traced tender kisses across the soft knuckles without opening my eyes. The soothing sounds of classical music playing in the background created a peaceful, serene environment within the car and I immediately found a contentment that I hadn't experienced all evening.

"Better?" I heard a heavenly voice ask.

"Uh-hmmm…much…" I admitted lazily, smiling at the sound her voice made in my ears.

Rolling my head against the headrest, I slowly opened my eyes in her direction and stared at the beautiful profile that was intently watching the street at the forefront of the windshield. "So beautiful," I whispered.

Without taking her eyes off the road, Bella smiled as she lifted her arm and rubbed the back of her delicate hand against the hair stubble that had grown on my cheek. My heart suddenly sang with joy as the feeling of love and appreciation washed over me.

Intertwining her fingers within my own, I brought her hand closer to my nose and inhaled deeply, reveling in the essence of her sweet aroma. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" I asked in a husky voice—all the while choking back emotions I unexpectedly felt.

I already knew the answer to my own question. No. There was no way Bella could conceivably understand the depth of love that I had for her. To this date, I didn't fully understand it myself. In my lifetime, I would never have imagined ever meeting a woman that I was more in-tune with than my own self. There was not a millimeter of her body that I had not seen…had not studied…had not _tasted._ She was more a vital part of my existence than the breath in my own lungs.

Why this beautiful woman would pick a person so undeserving as myself to be with still astounded me. Whenever I thought of all the men in the world that would be more befitting of my Bella, I became immediately humbled that she would allow me to share in the temporary moments of her existence. I would never get used to seeing the love she had for me reflected in her eyes. My knees become weak and my fragile heart melted every time she whispered my name or spoke the words _I love you._

It was painful to admit, but a part of me panicked whenever she was away from me. The idea of Bella leaving or another man stealing her away—no matter how much more deserving of her he would be than myself—drove me to madness. I once told Bella that I was nothing without her…that I would give myself over to another life if she ever left or were taken from me. She quickly dismissed my statements as a confession in the throes of passion and giggled in flattery at the very thought of it.

_God…she has no idea the truth behind my words,_ I considered to myself as my fingers found their way up the side of her cheek to momentarily caress the skin leading to the base of her neck.

Turning the corner at the light, the apartment complex easily came into view in the near distance. Sighing, Bella seemed almost relieved as she pulled the Volvo into the parking lot and turned off the engine. "You're not driving home tonight," she commanded while stuffing my car keys into her purse.

Nodding my head in agreement—as if I ever considered leaving her for one moment—I opened the door, swung my legs out of the car and waited as Bella hit the inside button to lock the doors. Stepping around the back of the Volvo, she walked pointedly toward me, grabbed my hand in hers and steered us toward the lobby entrance of her apartment building.

I had already concluded that Bella believed that I was drunk, or at least overly tipsy. She was so adorable. As I watched her guide me to the elevator doors, she was careful in making sure I didn't get caught in them as they closed. Pulling her into my chest, I couldn't resist her affections any longer than I already had. Seeing her so protective over me was utterly endearing and it was all that I could do not to smother her with kisses across her face. So instead, I nuzzled my head in the nape of her neck and breathed in the floral nectar of her fragrance.

As the elevator doors opened to her floor, Bella wiggled out of my embrace and pulled us both into the hallway before rummaging through her purse to look for her keys. Walking in front of me, I took the opportunity offered and watched the apple-bottom view of her hips as they swayed seductively with each one of her well-placed steps. I could feel my member slowly becoming engorged as I considered what new record I could set if I snatched her up, stripped off her clothes and plunged myself deep within her before the door to her apartment sealed shut.

Obviously unaware of my internal debate, she smiled with triumph as she pulled out her key and unlocked her door. "This way Edward," she beckoned, not understanding that my hesitation came only from wanting to admire her beauty from afar.

Extending out her hand, Bella wiggled her fingers until I grasped it into my own. I stayed her attempt at reaching for the nearby light switch as she guided me lovingly inside the entrance. Instead, I turned on a small lamp that sat on an end table near the sofa and scooped her up into my arms in one quick motion.

"Edward!" she giddily squealed. "Put me down! You're in no condition to pick me up and you know it!"

Tightening my grip under her legs, I pulled her closer and pushed my lips further into her hair veiled ear, "Oh, but I disagree love…I am more than capable of doing lots of things besides just picking you up."

Astounded by my clearly displayed libido, she disputed, "Why Mr. Cullen, I do believe your intentions are honorable, but your stamina may be lacking after the big evening you just had. Why don't you let me start the shower so you can relax and unwind for the night?" Batting her lashes, she waited for my response with a look of innocent concern.

Pausing, I tried to effectively digest the meaning behind her words. "Bella? Did you really just imply that I have no stamina to satisfy you tonight?" I questioned with an affronted voice.

"Oh Edward, sweetie…I didn't mean it like that. Of course not," she retracted. "I just meant that with all the drinks you had and the emotional strain that we all felt when Jake showed up…it's just a bit much for me to expect one of your spectacular performances."

_Wait…What did she just say?_

Carefully placing Bella back on her feet, I turned her body toward me so that I could look deeply into her eyes. "Jake? Since when did _Jacob_ become Jake?"

I felt her stiffen slightly under my embrace before responding, "Oh. Well…he asked me to call him Jake right before everyone left the bar. He said that's what his friends called him back at La Push. So I agreed to call him Jake from now on." Blushing, she bit her bottom lip and quickly diverted her eyes.

"I see."

Inhaling deeply, my chest tightened minutely as I considered her uncomfortable reaction. Undeterred, I decided to continue my original seductive attempts, "Well then…I can assure you that _Jake's_ presence has absolutely no bearing on my stamina with you here tonight—or any other night for that matter."

"Edward…I didn't mean…"

"Ssshh…I know love. But I don't want to talk about Jacob…or Emmett or even that scumbag Mike Newton for the rest of the night." Sliding my palms down the sides of both her hips, I let my fingers detour until they found their mark at the inside bottom of her rounded cheeks. Squeezing methodically, I pulled her center firmly against my swollen member and slowly ground her body against it. With moistened lips skimming circles over her neck, I murmured decisively against her skin, "From now on…it's just Bella and Edward. Agreed?" Dipping my head lower, I placed butterfly kisses over her collarbone and gingerly slid my tongue down to her chest.

Relaxing her stance and exhaling noisily, Bella's legs began to wobble under my tender ministration. "Mmmm. Absolutely…just us." Throwing her head back she whimpered with delight.

Something in my resolve snapped as the aroma from her body mixed in with the heat that was emanating from her skin. The feminine moans of pleasure sent my senses into a tailspin and I found myself desperately tugging at the chain belt fastened around her waist. "Leave it…" she commanded as it fell to the floor.

Returning my hands once again to her bottom, I lifted Bella up and she immediately wrapped her booted legs about my waist. The fervent sounds of her moans amplified and the feel of her fingers unyieldingly entangled within my hair was all the encouragement I needed to continue. Walking with obscured vision, I carefully made our way to the bedroom with Bella securely fastened around my body. The softness of her clothing was not enough to satiate my sense of touch; so I heatedly began sliding my fingers to the hem of her sweater dress. Caressing the exposed skin of her inner thigh, I placed her lovingly on top of the neatly made bed.

"Wait, love…just sit there for a moment," I persuaded. Disentangling my head from her embrace, I kissed the bottom of her pouting lips, while pointedly running my hand up the side of her boot. Finding the zipper, I slowly released her lips, lowered my head and placed my mouth on the top of her exposed knee. One by one, I kissed each leg and ran my tongue up and down her thighs as I unzipped each boot then tossed them across the room.

The pupils of Bella's eyes dilated and each breath she took came in erratic gasps as the stimulation from my mouth overtook her senses. "Lift your arms for me sweetheart," I soothingly pleaded. Running my hands up the inside of her dress, she eagerly submitted to my request as I slowly slid it off her head to expose the perfection underneath. "My God…" I thankfully prayed as I drank in the vision before me.

My mouth salivated in expectation, as my lips quivered with the anticipation of licking the expanse of her flattened stomach. Hooking one hand underneath her knee then using the other arm to wrap around her waist, I carefully lifted and slid her further up on the bed. As I gently pushed her back against the pillows I couldn't help but hesitate in wonderment of where to begin first.

"Please Edward…" my angel begged as I hovered above her in adoration. "Please…don't stop…"

I became completely undone upon hearing her implore me to continue. Unable to deny Bella the slightest demand, I quickly shed myself of my own clothing so as not to delay her one moment of satisfaction by having them as a barrier between us.

"No my love. Please…never, ever beg me. Just tell me what you want. Tell me what you need and I'll give you anything…" I whispered. "Anything!"

Her breath hitched at hearing the sincerity of my words and she arched her back in wanton expectation before speaking. "I want you…inside of me. I need you Edward. I love you so much."

In that moment, my whole world became Bella. Time stood completely still as I lost myself in the woman beneath me. She was my life and I submitted to the reality of it, as I crashed my lips against hers in uncontrolled need to possess her very soul.

Disengaging my mouth from hers, I trailed heated kisses along her neck as I reached to unfasten her bra. Tossing it to the floor I lifted my body off of Bella only long enough to revere the taut pink nipples that were deliciously on display. Smiling to myself, I reflected momentarily on what I would do to those soft peaks that seemed to reach higher and higher toward my lips. Rubbing my palm along the side of her stomach, I chose instead to begin my seduction by kneading and squeezing them within my hands. Rolling her nipples between my fingers, I felt her shudder then relax within my embrace.

Gradually moving my knee along the bed, I placed it between Bella's legs and spread her wide open to receive me. My pulse quickened upon hearing her moan aloud with pleasure as I ground my hips in circular motions and leisurely dry humped her over and over again. "Can you feel me love? Do you feel how much you excite me?" Rubbing my swollen member against her panties, I needed her to acknowledge the power she had to stimulate and control me.

"God. Yes…you're so big…so hard…" she choked.

Unable to endure the small obstruction separating us any further, I anxiously entwined my fingers in her panties and slid them down her legs and off her ankles. Bringing them to my nose, I inhaled the intoxicating remnants of her sex that emanated from the delicate lacey fabric. With my senses totally filled with the essence of her, I returned between her thighs, lowered my head then suckled and nibbled at her nipples.

I thoroughly enjoyed the feel of her silken flesh as she trembled from the attention that I gave to each supple breast. The impassioned distraction I invoked provided the moment needed to inch my hand between her legs and onto her awaiting center. My ego was more than stroked upon hearing her sharp intake of breath as I slid my fingers into her moistened core and stroked her velvety insides with meticulous effort. Thrashing beneath me, I watched as her hips pumped up and down with the need to be completely filled.

Wishing to satisfy her in other ways, I had to settle with removing my hand and licking her wetness off my fingertips. Annoyed by my own excitement, I knew that I was too wound up to lower my face between her knees without exploding from ardent sexual hunger. _Next time_, I mentally promised, before dropping my head to recapture her lips.

Holding myself within my own hand, I placed my member between the lips of my angel's center and slid back and forth in an effort to spread her moisture over my entire length. With my last thread of control, I whispered into her ear. "Let me love you Bella…let me fill you up with my love."

Running warm palms down the span of my back, I groaned as I felt both of her hands grab me and rake her nails across my hips. "Yes Edward. Oh yes…" she breathed as she wrapped her legs firmly around my back then arched her treasure toward my engorged groin.

It was all the permission I needed before pushing rigidly into her awaiting heat. Exhaling excitedly, my eyes rolled to the back of my head as I gave in to the blissful sensation of her body. Fully sheathed in her silken wetness, I knew beyond question that heaven had found me.

"You're so wet for me…so soft…ughn…" I was enraptured. Floating above myself, I looked down at the beautiful cherub that had so freely afforded me this pleasure.

My head was spinning as the confessions of my soul easily fell from my lips, "Sweetheart. God I love you…I love you." Caught up in the moment, I faintly heard a sound murmur with an unnatural tenor.

_That's right. That's riiiight… _it encouraged.

_Make her yours. Make her forget the others…_

Ignoring the sound that tried to dominate my attention, I became fixated on the aroma that had engulfed my feral desire. "Mmmm…I can smell you Bella. God. I can smell your want for me." It was intoxicating.

"Please…tell me that you desire me. Please love…please. I have to hear it." I couldn't help it. I had to hear her lips confess her longing for me. I needed it as surely as an addict needed heroine.

"Yes, baby…I want you. I need you so much!" she conceded.

_No. That's not good enough! _The voice was clear and intimidating.

_Take her harder! What if she's thinking of him? _

I cringed.

The thought of the truth in its words pained me like nothing I'd ever experienced before. I tightened the grip around Bella's waist and desperately kissed every inch that my lips could find.

_Grind her. Make her call your name._

Thrusting feverishly, my chest tightened and my heart skipped a beat as I stared at her closed eyes and sweaty brow. In that moment of doubt, I actually questioned whether she was fantasizing about another man. "Bella…Bella…say my name. Please love…look at me and say my name," I cried with uncensored emotions. Swiveling my hips and pumping harder, I reached my hand between us and rubbed erratic circles over her clit.

_Yes… _The voice was pleased.

_Just. Like. That. _

_Good…good…_

"Edward," she panted. "Mmmm-hmmm. Yes baby. Oh Edward…" Lifting her head up slightly, I gasped in erotic delight as I felt her bite my shoulder and suck the salty moisture off my skin.

There were no words in the English language to describe what this woman was doing to me in that moment. "You feel so good sweetheart. So…ughn…good," I moaned with fanatical exuberance. I was quickly succumbing to the spell she was casting over me.

_Focus you fool! She's not there yet. Hold on to your release! Hold on!! _

With sheer will and inhuman concentration, I reigned in the need to lose myself between her velvety-soft walls. Slowing down my pace, I exhaled forcefully to release the pressure that had built up in my loins.

_That's right…control. It's all about control._

_Now…make her say it. Make her tell you who she belongs to!_

"Bella…" I chanted. "You're my world…my life. Stay with me sweetheart. I promise to always make you feel like this. Just tell me…tell me that you're mine. Please Bella. Say that you're mine—_my love…my Bella_."

Lifting her tear moistened lashes I was stunned by the raw emotion stemming from her eyes. "Of course Edward," she choked, in a husky voice. "How could you doubt it? You know that I am!"

"Then say it. Say it…please," I begged.

Nuzzling her face into my neck, she began to equally match my thrusts with her own. Nibbling at my earlobe, I quivered as she whispered the words I'd waited a lifetime to hear. "I'm yours Edward. All of me…Mmmmm. I'm yours…"

That was it. My soul was lost to her forever. All restraint was gone and I plunged deeper and deeper within her as my mind soared with the knowingness of her confession. She was mine. _Mine!_ I would give her everything. She had all of me and I now knew that I had all of her—forever.

I felt myself twitch and grow harder inside her core as I powered faster and faster with each enflamed thrust. All blood in my body raced to my head then shifted direction to my engorged groin. Bella arched her back and pumped her hips in time to my persistent rhythm. I watched as her head shook from side to side in disbelief, before feeling her tremble beneath me. I felt her pelvis vibrate and convulse as it milked my member from within. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, as her nails dug deep into the firm flesh of my arms and I too spiraled into an abyss of undeniable ecstasy. In one last forceful pump, I screamed out my love's name before spilling my seed deep within her.

_Aaaah yes…yes…_

_She's yours now,_ the voice decided.

_That's my boy…_

**~**

Silence overtook me as only the sounds of our breathing filled the room. Finally able to close my mind off to the voice for the first time tonight, I gave in to the feeling of relaxation that quickly overpowered my being. Mindful not to put my full weight on top of Bella, I collapsed beside her on the bed. Rolling on my back, I reached and pulled her in closer. As I wrapped strong arms around her slight frame, I was comforted by the feel of her as she curled up next to me then buried her head into my chest. Brushing away her disheveled hair, I placed tender kisses across her forehead and gently stroked the side of her cheek. Tilting up her chin, I gazed deeply into her eyes before making my heartfelt admission. "I love you Bella. Always," I whispered. Drifting off, I watched as she turned her full lips up into an adorable little smile, as she gave her own sweet reply of adoration.

"Me too sweetie…me too…" she breathed, right before falling into a passion induced sleep.

A feeling of completeness settled over me and I smiled, knowing the source of my joy. While holding Bella in my arms, the meaning of jubilation became clear, as I measured and counted each of her silent breaths before settling into my own euphoric slumber.

**~**

Sitting on a chair diagonally from the bed, I watched as Bella slept. Lying slantwise on her stomach, her hair fanned out like a chocolate river atop the pillows. Exhaling a satiated breath, I noticed that only a sliver of sheet covered her delectable bottom. Paralyzed by the vision before me, my eyes were transfixed by the moonlight as it emptied through the open window to fall directly across the bed. Bella took on a celestial glow as moonbeams illuminated the porcelain skin of her back in blue-white hues. I couldn't help but regard that she looked like a fallen angel as she laid there sprawled across the covers in a deep unmoving sleep.

Without warning, Bella's head began thrashing against the pillows and I leaned forward with concern as I heard incoherent whimpers emotionally come from her mouth. My pulse began to plummet by the gravity of the words being mumbled restlessly in her sleep.

"Jacob…" she moaned. "Why are you here…Oh Jake…."

Rising to my feet, I narrowed the distance between us and stood with tempered patience at the foot of the bed. _She's dreaming about…him, _I painfully acknowledged.

_Of course she is. He was the one that protected her tonight, not you, _I miserably admitted.

Stepping in closer, I stretched out a trembling hand as Bella turned on her back and exposed her delicate neck to my view. With slow, measured care I reached down and rubbed a gentle finger against the pulse that was sporadically throbbing from her artery. Reaching around her small frame, I grabbed the sheettossed carelessly to the side and pulled it delicately over her shivering body.

_He can't have you…_I decided to myself.

Shoving both hands through my hair, I spun around until I found my pants that were thrown messily in a pile on the floor. Snatching them up, I dug in my pocket to find my cell phone. With a quick glance back at the bed, I walked across the room to stand by the window that was shining brightly from the light of the new moon.

"Two-forty eight," I acknowledged before flipping open my cell. Hitting speed dial number six, I slowly raised the phone to my ear.

After one ring—as always—the line picked up. "Yes sir," was the answer.

"Mr. Demetri, I know it's late, but I have a situation that requires your services." Turning my back to the window, my jaw clinched as I watched Bella peacefully sleeping beneath the tangled sheets. Conflicted, I hesitated before continuing. "I'm sorry…but it couldn't wait until morning."

"Sir?" he responded with questioned intonation.

Decidedly, I walked to the bedroom door, grabbed the knob and pulled until it quietly shut behind me. Whatever assignment intended, I reasoned, in the long run was for Bella's own good and the good of my family as well. As I recited my orders to Mr. Demetri, I found peace in the knowledge that the secrets behind Jacob Black's presence would soon be revealed, whether Carlisle chose to confess them or not. Closing my phone, I tossed it haphazardly on the couch and reflected solemnly on my own decision. Sitting there in silence I watched as the light from the small lamp flickered then dimmed like a foreboding premonition—and the darkness of the room, in the end, engulfed me.


	8. Chapter 8 Lamenting Broken Dishes

**Chapter 8**

**Lamenting broken dishes**

**CPOV**

"Okay Carlisle, don't just stand there staring," I berated. "It only gets easier when you make up your mind to do it."

Reaching for the knob, I simultaneously pulled the door open and flicked on the light. An onset of fatigue set in as I surveyed the challenge before me. Exhaling noisily, I contemplated how I would begin my search through the maze of possessions stored throughout the closet. I finally came to terms that the task couldn't be put off any longer than it already had. Esme needed those plates to arrange the table before everyone's arrival for tonight's dinner.

Rummaging through the closet, I haphazardly tossed a container out of the way. _I've always hated those table settings, _I wordlessly fumed.

_But how can I bring myself to tell Esme how I really feel? They are the only items she's saved from her first marriage_, I hesitantly acknowledged before continuing my dig. Although it was unlikely we'd ever use them again for at least another year, a small part of me knew I would resent every forkful of food I'd soon eat off those loathsome plates.

Unfolding the small step-ladder we usually kept in the utility room, I pushed it deeper into the closet before taking a stair up and posturing myself to achieve the best leverage to reach the top shelf. Sliding the decretive hat boxes to the side, I blindly ran my hands along the back wall of the shelf to ensure I hadn't missed any items.

"Carlisle, did you find them?" Esme questioned in the distance.

Withdrawing my hands from the shelf, I steadied my balance before craning my head around for a sideward response. "No sweetheart, I don't see them. Are you sure you placed them back in the hall closet?" Pausing, I took in a deep breath, rearranged the boxes and waited for her to retrace her mental steps.

_Was I selfish to hope that her dishes had mysteriously disappeared? Or that Alice had snuck in, borrowed them, and forgotten to bring them back? _

The fact that she considered that particular dinnerware her 'good china' always disturbed me. I realized that I was being unfair, but just knowing that there were objects from Esme's past, which were directly connected to a man so unworthy of her love really got under my skin. I'd tried to shower my beautiful wife with affection and love every day of our marriage in order to wipe away the memory and pain that her previous husband had put her through. In my mind, those plates were the last symbols that needed to be eradicated to accomplish that feat. Still, I knew that now was not the time to let my thoughts or irritation get the better of me since she had worked so hard to plan such a lovely evening for everyone.

Sounding a bit preoccupied, Esme slowly responded. "Oh honey, I'm sorry…you're right. They're not in the closet. I stored the dishes in the attic after last Christmas' dinner party with the neighbors," she remembered. "Don't worry about it. I'll look for them myself as soon as I put the roast in the oven."

Folding the ladder and closing the closet door, I walked closer to the second floor balcony and called down. "No sweetheart, that's alright. I'll go upstairs and look for them instead," I urged. "You already have your hands full with dinner. I'd rather you finish what you're doing before Alice shows up with some exotic recipe that she'll insist we serve during this evenings' meal."

Alice was notorious for insisting that everyone step out of their comfort zone to experience new and exotic cuisines. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my sensitive stomach landed me in the emergency room after one of her more exciting dishes and I had been off the hook ever since. Still, I didn't want to press my luck. I was certain Alice had been putting together a tamer list of recipes that she was convinced my stomach could handle. My only assurance at this point was to guarantee that nothing would prevent Esme from finalizing today's menu by allowing her enough time to cook everything in advance before our little girl showed up with her "book of spells" as Emmett liked to call it.

"Are you sure, honey?" she giggled mischievously, all the while knowing how nervous Alice's cooking made me ever since the emergency room incident.

Shaking my head with the full knowledge that Esme was enjoying my disdain, I answered weakly. "Yeeees darling, I'm positive. I'll keep lookin'…you just keep cookin'!" I smirked, at my lame attempt to make a joke.

Walking down the long hallway and past the kid's old bedrooms, I turned left and stood in front of the attic door that hadn't been opened in almost a year. Dreading the scavenger hunt that I was sure to undertake, I unlocked the door with the master key then slowly made my way up the stairs. As I neared the top, I noticed that the air had a musty smell to it from lack of fresh oxygen being circulated in the room in months. "I need to open a window," I mumbled to myself.

Scanning the attic, I realized the boxes by the wall were stacked high enough to block the only window in the room. Carefully maneuvering through the clutter, I made my way to the window and slowly began removing the packages one-by-one. In a moment of carelessness, one of the containers slipped out of my hand and landed hard—right next to a dust covered box partially concealed in a corner.

"Hmmm…I don't remember ever seeing that before." I thought aloud, while attempting to set the fallen box upright again.

Pausing, I stared intently at the object in the corner in an attempt to remember its contents without actually opening the lid. Knowing that it was an effort in futility, I slid the fallen box off to the side, kneeled down on one knee and expectantly gave in to my curiosity.

The top of the box was tattered and brittle. It easily crumbled beneath my efforts to pull off the remaining adhesive holding the lid sealed shut. Ignoring the mess I had just made from the broken box pieces, I grinned in triumph as the final bit of tape was easily removed.

Squinting my eyes to prevent dust particles from getting in, I lifted the lid carefully and pulled out the shriveled balls of paper used as packing. "What's this?" I wondered aloud as I continued the sensory dig with my hands. Reaching further down into the box, I came across what felt like soft leather wrapped around another bulkier object.

Unsure of what I was actually holding, I tightened my grip and carefully lifted the bundle with both hands. Thankful for the momentary distraction that this particular find had provided; I gently placed the cloth on the floor and positioned my body to allow more light to be cast down in its direction.

Not wanting to immediately unveil its contents, I placed a hand under my chin, furrowed my brow and waited for divine enlightenment to solve the mystery of the object just uncovered. A sense of familiarity washed over me as I visually inspected the native patterns on the fabric. _No, it couldn't be!_ I mentally denied. The muscles in my chest constricted. My pulse quickened to an erratic pace, as a wave of raw emotion pierced the remnants of a forgotten heart that had been laid to rest with its love so many years ago.

Slowly, I reached out a trembling hand to untie the cord used as binding around the cloth. Knowing that it would easily open, I unknotted the last tie, pulled back the leather folds then lifted the garment from its wrapping. "I thought I'd lost it…but it's been here…with me, all these years." With a heavy heart, I expanded the article of clothing and reveled in its beauty as I once did the very first day I saw it.

Lowering my hands, I methodically rubbed sweaty palms across the ivory beading that was intricately stitched around the neckline of the garment. It had been more than twenty years since I laid eyes on the native wedding dress that would have adorned my first true love. It was handmade and sewn with all the love, tenderness and care that only she could have given. Our wedding would have been a day made in heaven and her beauty would have warmed the hearts of everyone in attendance. I would have spent the remainder of my life trying to earn every bit of love, trust and devotion she surely would have vowed to me on that day. "It just wasn't meant to be," I grieved, before bringing the dress to my nose in an attempt to inhale any remnants of her essence that remained. Choking back tears, I once again mourned for the love that was now lost to me forever.

_I remember the first day I saw you, _I reminisced to myself.

_Your beauty was so overwhelming…so irresistible. I remember how your dark satin hair cascaded down your shoulders and the twinkle of those exquisite almond-shaped eyes was nothing short of spectacular. It was like looking at the sun…the Qahla, as your people called it. I was helpless to take my eyes off of you. Of course, the timing was all wrong, but I needed you as surely as the earth needed light. You always knew it, didn't you?_ I silently questioned in my heart.

_Of course you did, which is why you accepted my little pet name-Qahla-and forgave me for loving you even when I shouldn't have. _As buried emotions came flooding back in full force, I sat hard on the floor as if the weight of unresolved memories were dumped on top of my body.

_God, it seems like a lifetime ago that I first walked through the doors of Forks Hospital. I was a complete and utter mess. Unsure…alone (save little Emmett of course) and categorically out of my element. Forks was my last chance, my last hope of recapturing any semblance of a life or career to call my own. Funny…my reputation for being the young "hot shot" doctor straight out of medical school was only good enough to earn me a part time position at the hospital and the official on-call doctor at the reservation._

_It was the best opportunity I had ever had in my short career,_ I proudly admitted to myself. _It afforded me the opportunity to meet you, my love._

_**Flashback to Forks…**_

Sliding my Saab turbo between two Dodge pickup trucks, the car came to a silent stop in what was now my designated parking space. _Am I the only person at this hospital who drives a car? _I pondered, while surveying all the trucks in the parking lot. It had only been a week since I had relocated to the town of Forks after accepting the position at the hospital. Evidently the doctor whose position I had replaced was well loved throughout the community and bets had been clandestinely made that I wouldn't be able to fill even one of his shoes. The pressure was definitely on.

The last day of week two began at its typical predictable pace. Three patients were in the waiting room—one had a machinery related injury and the other two were back for more skin tests after exposure to poison oak—the usual. The day couldn't have begun anymore blasé if had I conjured it up myself. I was grateful.

Emmett was teething and had kept me up all night with an upset stomach, not to mention all the unpacking that I had tried to complete each day after work. Exhaustion was threatening to ruin my career before it even took root. I found myself welcoming the joy of mundane medical practice—at least for now anyway.

The morning had barely begun when Doctor Andrews intercepted my preparations to receive the next patient from the waiting room. "Dr. Cullen? I hate to interrupt," he interrupted. "But we've just received a phone call from one of the elders at the Quileutte reservation that a couple of the boys over there were injured while cliff diving," he finished.

I was immediately alarmed. "My God! How serious is it?" I choked.

A little surprised by my look of shock, he immediately tried to lessen the impact of what had happened. "Oh…well yes, the boys are definitely injured, but nothing life threatening. As a matter of fact, the elders there could probably handle everything themselves. Their native medicines are quite sophisticated and much respected around these parts." Cutting his eyes in my direction, I sensed he was looking to see if I had any negative reaction to his obvious admiration of their medicinal abilities.

"Just so you'll understand, cliff diving is kind of a right-of-passage for Quileutte boys going into manhood. The way it was explained to me, the tide came in pretty high while they were jumping and slammed the boys hard against the side of the rocks. By the time they made it out of the water, one boy had a really bad sprain and the other broke his arm trying to offset the impact. Since the boys are so young, they just want to make sure they're both thoroughly examined and the youngest boy's break is properly set before they cast him up," he explained. "And since you're the on-call doctor for the reservation, I thought this would be the perfect time to go down there and make your introductions," he reasoned.

Since arriving in Forks, I quickly learned that La Push reservation was an area often spoken about, but rarely visited by outsiders. Even as the designated on-call doctor to the reservation, I had never been officially invited for a visit to meet its residents, although I had been working at the hospital for at least two weeks now. Somehow, I realized that Dr. Andrews had already discerned this was the best opportunity I would have to make myself known to the local inhabitants of La Push; given that a more formal invitation would likely not occur anytime in the near future.

Lifting my chin, I silently nodded my understanding of the unspoken intention behind the visit. Ever since my arrival, Dr. Andrews made no secret of his admiration of my medical background and often provided unsolicited accolades of my achievements to anyone who would listen. In fact, it was Dr. Andrews himself that supplied the pivotal vote, which landed me the position as the replacement doctor at the hospital. He was my one ally and I knew he was determined to make my stay here worthy of my credentials; but mostly, he wanted to prove all of my naysayers wrong. Being accepted by the La Push people would be the first step in validating my position.

Placing my clipboard on the nearby counter, I quickly began sliding my arms out of my medical jacket. "Well then doctor, I'd better get going." I agreed. Patting the front of my khakis, I reached in the left pocket and retrieved my car keys before accepting the medical bag full of supplies that Dr. Andrews was now offering.

"Here, take this. It has everything you'll need to make a thorough exam. Don't worry, if anything is missing, I'm sure the nurse at the reservation's infirmary will provide the rest." Smiling triumphantly, he gave me a quick slap on the back before walking down the hall. With a slight hesitation he turned, then gave one last comment, "Oh. And uh…don't expect to receive the red carpet treatment like you did here. You'll actually have to earn their appreciation," he sarcastically stated. With a slight chuckle, he backed through the swinging doors of the opposite ward then disappeared.

Dejected, I continued to watch aimlessly as the swinging doors fell still. "Great." I grumbled under my breath. This was just what I needed, another forum where I'd have to prove myself capable of administering a shot or taking a temperature without actually losing a patient. Inhaling a deep breath, I walked outside, slid into my car then followed the map to La Push according to the directions I'd scribbled on the back of a hospital pamphlet.

The drive took all of fifteen minutes before I found myself coasting down the main road that led to the heart of the reservation. Swinging my car around, I parked under the only nearby tree that provided some shelter from the constant onslaught of moisture falling from the sky. _My poor paint job,_ I mourned to myself and gave one last glance in its direction before heading toward what looked to be the reservation infirmary.

Standing on the clinic's top step was a well-built man who, I quickly realized, was scrutinizing my every move. "Dr. Cullen," he called in a throaty voice. "We've been expecting you. Right this way." Reaching for the handle, he opened the front door and allowed me access to walk past. "By the way, I'm Billy Black. I was the one that found the boys down by the cliffs and brought them back here to get treated." Extending his arm, we both grasped hands before he continued. "Yeah, they were both pretty banged up. Served those knuckle heads right. They'd been told many times about risking a jump when the weather turned." Narrowing his eyes, it was obvious the mental images of the accident were fresh in his mind. "I'm just glad it wasn't more serious," he finally conceded, sounding more relieved than upset. "They're in here."

Slicking my dampened hair back from my face, I dried my hands against my pant legs before grabbing the doorknob of the next room that Billy was directing me toward. "How are they doing?" I inquired before turning the knob.

"Well, if you discount the fact that their mother's have vowed to kill them once they get a bill of good health from you, I'd say they're doing pretty good. All things considered," he clarified.

"I see."

The boys were very good patients. It took approximately thirty minutes to complete both their examinations. As expected, the youngest had the worst injury. His arm was definitely broken and needed to be set prior to being cast. Under the watchful eye of his mother, he actually looked brave as I explained the impending discomfort he would feel once I began to adjust the break. "Alright then, let's clean those deepest cuts before we begin. We wouldn't want you to get an infection." I cautioned.

Tossing the used cotton swabs in the wastebasket, I continued, "While we're at it, let's also give you a tetanus shot just to be on the safe side." Rummaging through the medical bag that Dr. Andrews had supplied, I was immediately disgusted when I realized the tetanus solution hadn't been packed. "Of all the things to possibly forget," I trailed off—repulsed.

_What is it with me and this town? _I wordlessly griped._ If it weren't for bad luck, I swear, I'd have none at all! _

Without looking up, I could feel the eyes of my appraisers boring into me as I contemplated my next move. Trying not to bring too much attention to my mental turmoil, I slowly began rearranging the supplies before quietly snapping the bag shut.

_Now everyone's going to think I'm an incompetent idiot…that I can't even remember to bring the basic medications to administer a simple shot. Brilliant Carlisle…just brilliant, _I quietly chided myself. Turning my back, I grabbed the bridge of my nose in frustration as the pressure in my temples quickly began to mount. Closing my eyes to capture a moment of visual solitude, I carefully let out what I thought was a quiet, exasperated sigh.

Startled, I immediately dropped my hand upon hearing the loveliest voice coming from the far corner of the room. "May I be of some help, Dr. Cullen?" the words soothed.

I couldn't speak. The words lingered unspoken in my mouth as I visually adjusted my eyes to accept the image before me. Like the heavens on a clear summer night, there she was—perfection.

Sheer, unbridled, perfection appeared before me like an unfettered apparition gesturing toward the medical cabinet full of drugs. In my entire existence, I couldn't recall seeing anything so lovely—so graceful. The most beautiful creature of God's creation had been hidden away in this remote place for me to one day gorge myself upon her splendor. Merciful Father…I was enraptured!

Speechless, I vaguely registered the instructions the exotic beauty was providing. I swallowed hard as I tried focusing intently on the full lips mouthing the words of my present salvation. "Here are some syringes and tetanus solution, Dr. Cullen. There's no need for you to use any that you've brought. We have plenty."

In one simple statement, this native angel helped me to save face before my peers and afforded me the courage to continue treating my young patients. Recklessly mesmerized by her beauty, I actually stuttered my gratitude before accepting the offered syringes. "Th-thank you Miss…"

"That's Nurse, not Miss," she corrected. "I was actually prepared to treat the boys myself when the elders decided that you should be called instead, Dr. Cullen. Will you need any assistance with the casting? Or should I gather the pain medications you prescribed while you finish it yourself?" Our eyes locked and I could feel the depths of her stare searching the crevices of my mind for unspoken answers.

There was something about her tone that insinuated displeasure with my presence at the clinic. This response conflicted entirely with her earlier gesture of providing tetanus solution before the others realized I arrived unprepared. Did I overstep my boundary by agreeing to come here today? It was hard to tell.

After shooting an apprehensive glance in her direction, I eagerly accepted her offered assistance. "Yes, if you would just steady the arm, I'll make the necessary adjustment then set it. Maybe together we can inflict the least amount of discomfort possible," I reasoned.

Hesitating long enough to take one final assessment of my presence, she nodded her agreement to assist with the casting. Silently, we worked together, but my resolve waivered under the unspoken criticism of each fleeting look she cast my way.

Over the next forty five minutes, all treatments had been completed and everyone was saying their goodbyes. Billy Black was giving one final lecture, while holding both boys by the backs of their necks as he ushered them out of the clinic. Their mothers followed; each wearing a smug smile of satisfaction at the stern lesson being reiterated by Billy.

As I watched the last person exit through the infirmary door, I could feel almond shaped eyes inspecting every angle of my body from behind—followed by a sigh of acceptance. "I'm sorry Dr. Cullen. I was wrong," she openly confessed. "You're not the man I believed you to be. I suppose, I've unfairly judged you."

Surprised, I turned in the direction of the apology being offered. "What was that?" I asked—confused.

"First of all, I really didn't believe you would show up. And when you did, I assumed you were some Hollywood star pretending to be a doctor," she admitted, shamefully.

Washing my hands in the nearby sink, I tried not to appear taken aback by what I had just heard, "Is that really what you thought?" I asked, slightly insulted.

Spinning around, she grabbed a nearby chart, then defensively fumed—exasperated by the conversation before it had even begun. "This is a small town, Dr. Cullen. We gossip. Everyone had placed bets that you were faking your credentials and that you chose to come to Forks to study our medical procedures for some future movie role. I mean seriously…just look at you!"

Waving a free hand, she made an outline of my body from head to toe before continuing. "You walk in here with your slicked-back blonde hair and perfect face…no one would ever believe you were a doctor just by looking at you," she accused. "I sure didn't."

Anxiously rubbing the edges of the chart between her fingers, she lowered her eyes to stare at the tiles on the floor. "Still, I'm not above admitting when I'm wrong," she went on—humbly. "But…it's just…"

Hearing her hesitation, I knew that I had to push for more answers, "Just what? Please…go on," I encouraged. Somehow, I knew that this was the explanation I needed, to spell out all the unwarranted animosity I had been receiving over these past few weeks.

Sighing again, she resigned herself to continue. "It's just your credentials! What doctor, who graduates from one of the top medical schools in the world—in the top of his class I might add—would choose to work in Forks? Which just happens to be small town nowhere?"

"Not to mention the male modeling career you've obviously turned down a hundred times. Seriously, what man—who looks like you—with your breeding, background and education, would waste his talents to be an on-call doctor to an Indian reservation?" It was more of an accusation than a question awaiting a valid response.

Still, I knew this was the forum to answer these unasked questions if I ever intended to make peace with the town and the future patients I'd likely be treating.

Carefully grabbing the used syringes, I tossed them in the medical disposal basket and locked the lid. Could the source of my angst really stem from my credentials and appearance? As absurd as it sounded, I had to consider the seriousness of the explanation provided. "In all fairness," I began. "As far as my 'looks' are concerned, it goes without saying that I had absolutely nothing to do with it at all. Actually, blame could be squarely laid on my parents if they were still alive to accuse."

"In fact, I could teach an introductory course to the town on the miracle of DNA if you think that would help?" I sarcastically offered.

My response made it obvious that I didn't like the direction this conversation had headed. _Was I really prepared to reveal the true reasons for my appearance here in Forks?_ No. I wasn't. Not even for the benefit of the delicate beauty before me. Still, I knew that I couldn't continue practicing medicine in a town full of patients that mistrusted my motivations for being here.

Turning my back to the piercing almond eyes that were now weary from my chide remark, I was afforded a brief moment to collect my thoughts without intrusion. "I'm sorry," I apologized, slightly hanging my head in shame. "That was rude. I know my presence here in Forks is a bit of a…mystery. I guess you could say I've come here to start my life anew—to find peace, if you will." It was the best answer I could give at the moment—and it was also the truth.

I could feel the burn of her eyes on my back as she took a mental and physical assessment of what I'd just revealed. "Peace? Well doctor, you may find that Forks has its moments of excitement and unruliness. We're not the sleepy little town that everyone believes us to be," she explained. "So don't get too attached with the idea of slowing down. Trouble has its way of finding even the most miniscule of places."

_That's what I'm afraid of_, I silently worried, before turning to face her again.

Placing the chart on top of the filing cabinet, she slipped out of her medical jacket and reached for the coat hanging in the corner. "In the meantime, I think it's best if I show you around the reservation if you still have time. I wouldn't want you to start your new life in unfamiliar territory. Besides, I may not always be here when tragedy strikes. There are days when I actually work at the hospital you know."

I was surprised to hear that revelation. Quickly, I conducted a mental scan in an effort to recall her presence at the hospital. The idea of passing this amazing woman in the hall and not noticing her exquisite beauty totally eluded me. "Well…no. I didn't know that," I admitted.

"In fact, I've never seen you before today. Trust me, I would have remembered," I assured—taking a slight step toward her to emphasize the point. My face must have betrayed the warm feelings that were threatening to overflow from my heart, because she lowered her head and smiled shyly before continuing.

"Uhm…well, that's probably because I work in the lab. I rarely attend to patients at the hospital unless it's someone from La Push that was transferred there. Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready for the tour," I clarified. Leaving this exotic angel was the last thing I was ready to do.

For the next hour, we drove around the reservation and I was introduced to every resident who happened to be available to meet. The area was beautiful with its lush green forest and scenic beach. It's no wonder the people here kept themselves isolated. The idea of La Push becoming spoiled by outsiders and tourism was saddening. It had an untouched beauty that almost rivaled the woman sitting next to me—well, almost.

Staring out the passenger side window of her truck, I felt a calmness move through me that I hadn't felt in months._ Yes, _I thought to myself. _I could definitely make this place a home. Emmett and I could find peace here…away from Victoria…away from her father—Aro. I could give our son a chance at a normal life—one uninterrupted by fear and chaos. Do I dare hope that Forks could provide the veil of protection that Emmett so deserved? _

Turning my head, I gave a half smile to the beautiful chauffeur who had unknowingly become the focus of my hopes and dreams. _And this woman, this beautiful miracle who is only inches from me…should I dare hope to pursue her for myself? Would that be too selfish? Or just too dangerous? _I contemplated. _My attorney assured me that Victoria and I were legally divorced...that I had been awarded full custody of little Emmett. Why shouldn't I give love one more chance?_

Angst, turmoil, fear, confusion all washed over me in an instant and I found myself short of breath at the idea of bringing a reign of evil down upon this sleepy little town.

_No. I will not pursue this woman, _I soundlessly decided.

In my peripheral vision, I caught the beauty to my left intently staring at me. For the first time in ages, I felt my dead heart begin to flutter uncontrollably, so I quickly amended my mental decision_. _

_Well…not yet anyway. At least not until I know that it's safe and that Victoria is no longer going to fight to get custody of Emmett again. Not that she ever wanted him in the first place_, I quietly seethed.

Frustrated once again, I clenched my fist as I recalled the efforts of a powerful father-in-law to steal the only thing in my life worth living for. _It's always been Aro behind the scene, pushing Victoria to provide him with a male heir that he himself could never have. _

_Aro! Damn him!_ I loathed.

_How will I ever overcome his relentless pursuit of Emmett and the perverse obsession he has with passing down that God forsaken empire to the only male heir that was handpicked to be trained by him?_

"Impossible," I exasperated.

"What was that?"She asked over the drone of the highway.

I didn't realize that I'd spoken aloud. "Oh, uh…right, I was just thinking about how impossible it was for a place as magnificent as La Push to have been hidden away from the rest of the world for so many years."

Drifting her gaze toward the scenic highway, her voice resonated with thoughtful humility, "Yes, it is beautiful isn't it? We pride ourselves on caring for the land and animals on the reservation. In return they provide us with everything we could possibly need to have a good life. It's a fair exchange wouldn't you agree?"

Hanging on her every word, I quickly spoke up, "I would." _And it sounds perfect,_ I conceded to myself.

"So Doctor…" she continued.

"Please, call me Carlisle," I encouraged, feeling a bit uneasy at the sound of my 'formal' title.

"Okay then…Carlisle," she smiled.

"Uhm, I was just thinking—would you care to have dinner with me tonight?" Cowering slightly, she sheepishly clarified her invitation.

"Well, uh…what I meant to say was, a few of the boys here have crossed over into manhood and everyone is gathering this evening to celebrate. It would give you a chance to meet the elders. And it would help everyone see that you are, in fact, a _real_ doctor—no offense."

"None taken," I assured.

Satisfied by my initial response, she pushed on, "Well…what do you say?" she beamed—dazzling me once again with a twinkle from those chocolate eyes. "After all, it would be good for your career if you played nice with the local natives," she teased.

_How could I possibly refuse this woman anything? _I suddenly wondered. "Well, since you put it that way, I'd be honored to attend—for the sake of my career, of course."

"Of course," she echoed. "So, should we meet back here at the clinic around seven?"

My excitement couldn't be contained. "Seven it is!" I agreed, eagerly.

An uncontrollable feeling of giddiness swiftly washed over me as the idea of spending the evening with her suddenly set in. Rolling to a complete stop, I quickly hopped out of the truck and offered my temporary goodbyes until later that night. I unexpectedly realized that I now had two allies in this town who wanted my stay here in Forks to be a success. Smiling inwardly, I secretly hoped my new found friend wanted more from me than just another medical constituent.

The drive back into town was surreal. In the span of three hours, my life, my entire outlook, had taken on a new perspective. The only way to describe the emotion rising to the surface was—hopeful. Yes, hope was definitely what I was feeling. It appeared my luck was changing. And I truly believed the angel I had encountered was a sign of better days to come.

Thoughts of Aro and Victoria (which always plagued the corners of my mind) for the first time, seemed far removed from me and this little town I now called home. I couldn't help but wonder if I was finally making peace with my present condition? Or was I just deluding myself in believing that I could recapture some semblance of normalcy? The possibility seemed far reaching.

_Would I ever lay the ghosts of the past to rest? Would there ever be a day that danger would not be waiting for my son like a guillotine ready to strike_? I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the peril that lingered in the shadows was real and unyielding. Before I went into hiding, I concluded that I could never risk the lives of anyone that I loved—or may come to love—by exposing them to such a foreboding menace.

So for now, I would enjoy this night with an angel. And for one moment pretend that she was mine—and that all was still safe with the world.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

The door to the attic slowly opened. The sound of footsteps pulled my thoughts back to the present safety and comfort of my home and life with Esme.

"Carlisle? Sweetheart?" she nervously called, all the while carefully walking through the box ridden attic. "I heard something fall. Are you alright honey?"

Sitting on the floor in the far corner of the attic, my fingers gingerly rubbed the delicate clothe that once adorned my long lost love. Hesitating slightly, I finally raised my eyes to look at Esme's heavenly face, "I'm fine sweetheart...it was dark and I knocked over a box, I think." My voice cracked from the unreleased emotion that I was quietly trying to suppress.

Esme's slight stumble immediately pulled me out of my nostalgic daze and a feeling of immediate concern flooded my mind. "You shouldn't be up here; it's dangerous without the proper lighting. You could fall." Reaching for her hand, I laid the garment to the side and stood up. "Please honey, be careful," I warned, as she took another purposeful step toward me. "I couldn't stand it if you hurt yourself. Here, let me help you."

Clearing a path, I held Esme's hand as she stepped over the fallen box and carefully came to rest in my arms. "What's that?" she asked as her eyes leisurely drifted toward the native wedding dress.

Choking back emotion, I quietly replied, "It was Qahla's," was all I managed to say before losing my voice again.

Bending down, Esme carefully picked up the dress, turned it around then smiled thoughtfully. "It's magnificent isn't it?" She always knew the right words to say. "Qahla would have been a stunning bride."

With a delicate touch that only she was famous for having, Esme carefully folded the garment and placed it back into the package it was stored in. "You should show this to Jacob before he leaves. It would solidify everything you've told him about the love you had for his mother."

All I could muster was a silent nod of the head. Esme, as always, was right. One look at this wedding dress and Jacob would know that it belonged to his mother, and that we intended to pledge our lives to each other—forever.

Placing both hands on her hips and giving a half turn in each direction, she exhaled. "Now…let's survey the damage that's been done up here, shall we?" she continued, changing the solemn tone of the subject.

"What's that?" Bending over, she reached behind me to lift the box that had fallen. Following her lead, I turned it over and pulled the tape off the top. The jerk of the tape caused a rattling sound and I couldn't help but have a sinking feeling regarding the contents within.

With one hitch of her breath, I knew the worst had happened.

"Oh no! They're…broken. They're all broken!" she lamented.

I felt like a cad—as if some subconscious part of me had honed in on the box and purposefully pushed it over to destroy the contents within. The look on Esme's face in that moment broke my heart. I would've purchased a thousand plates of the same likeness if I thought it would take away her pain.

"Esme, darling…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…It just fell, honey. I swear I'll make it up to you. Please, don't be upset," I begged. Nothing distressed me more than watching my loving wife cry.

Peering at her tear stained face, I soundlessly admitted that my ego was bruised by the hurt she so freely displayed. It irritated me that she could still passionately love material items from her first marriage. Especially since those plates symbolized a marriage to a man so unworthy of her love or devotion. In fact, the man wasn't even worthy to speak her name, let alone to have _my_ Esme upset by the loss of dishes he obviously had given her. Again, a flood of guilt washed over me as I watched her try to compose herself before speaking.

"It's alright sweetheart…really…" she soothed. "I guess it's time that I let these dishes go. I know how much you detest them."

I was such an idiot. Of course she knew. "Esme, I…"

"Shhhh…It's alright. I've known for years," she revealed, then continued. "But what you've never realized, is that _I_ was the one who bought these plates for myself—not him. It was the first thing that I'd ever purposefully done that my husband didn't agree with. He hated everything about these dishes, which is why I bought them in spite of his objection—_and_ with his money, I might add," she smiled ruefully.

"I'm sure that's the reason he refused to toss them out…the idea of wasting money was far worse than eating off plates he forbade me to buy."

Picking up half of a broken dish, Esme held it in front of her and inspected it with triumphant care. "I guess you could say these dishes were a symbol of my first step towards independence and eventually meeting you. You see, honey…you're the love of my life. If I wouldn't have taken a stand by buying these plates, I would never have been the woman you met and fell in love with." Happiness shone behind her sad eyes as she explained the true meaning of the sentimentality she had for the dishes.

I was on top of the world! Esme never associated any of it with her first husband. She loved them simply because they brought her to me. "Darling, you never cease to amaze me. Every time I think I couldn't possibly love you more, you do something to prove me wrong each time," I gushed, and reached out to pull her near.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I desperately held her close to me. Heaven only knew why I was so lucky to have loved two great women in my lifetime. I once again reminded myself of the silent vow that I'd made years ago; that no force on earth would ever take away this woman that I held so passionately in my arms. I would fight for her, my family, and especially Jacob—my son.


	9. Chapter 9 The Fiend

**Chapter 9**

**The Fiend**

Click. Click. Click. Click…

_No good…Do it again._

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click…

_Better. Sounds better…_

Placed only inches from his ear, the gun chamber slid back and forth effortlessly as he intently listened for any flaws in its mechanics. Eyes closed, he focused all of his sensory attention toward detecting the miniscule fallacies that would alter the feel or precision of the gun. Stretching out both arms, he aimed two 'Glock' pistols at his reflection in the opposing mirror, and spun them simultaneously in each hand to measure their speed and balance.

Frustrated—and entirely dissatisfied—he again dismantled the weapons and began the vigorous routine of cleaning and assembling them once more. This task had been a custom for more than two decades. Yet, he never took for granted the thoroughness, immaculacy or flawlessness needed to maintain the vastness of his artillery. Perfection was the only standard he was ever allowed to have—to deviate now, would never be a consideration.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**DemPOV**

_Bzzz…bzzz…bzzz_…the table trembled as the cell phone silently vibrated the incoming call. Lifting the mobile before it gyrated to the floor I instantly recognized the number on the caller id.

_Hmmm…It's Cullen,_ I mentally acknowledged, and immediately flipped open the phone.

"Yes sir," I answered flatly then redirected my attention toward the clock on the dresser. The hour was two-forty eight—not this client's usual time to call with an assignment. My instincts were instantaneously alarmed, as I felt this particular call held an edge of ominous purpose.

"Mr. Demetri, I know it's late, but I have a situation that requires your services," he explained, in a somewhat hushed manner. "I'm sorry, but it couldn't wait until morning." There was an unusual strain in Cullen's voice. I couldn't help but conclude that the task involved his family—or more accurately, his woman.

"Sir?" I questioned, before placing the guns to the side.

There was a momentary silence, and I recognized the sound of him walking into another room before securely closing a door behind himself. There was an uncomfortable pause on the other end of the phone and I intuitively discerned the menacing secrecy encompassing his mannerism.

_If Cullen needs to ensure privacy at almost three o'clock in the morning,_ _this 'situation' must be direr than his usual jobs, _I mutely concluded.

"Please excuse the hesitation, Mr. Demetri, I'm not entirely sure how to broach the purpose of my call," he conceded, before continuing. "You _do_ remember Jacob Black, correct?"

_A rhetorical question…he knows that I do, _I thought without comment.

Failing to get a response to his inquiry, he understood that he needed to continue. "Well, this assignment again involves Black—as well as my father," he expounded. His voice—expressionless—defiantly betrayed an inner turmoil yet to be explained.

"I'm listening," I maintained.

Sounding a bit apprehensive, Cullen continued with measured expression, "Before I go on, please understand that this task will need to be handled with 'kid gloves' due to the very personal nature of the issue. As always, I will trust in your professionalism and discretion in this matter," he stated, with needed reassurance.

"Understood sir," I placated, intrigued by the mission yet to be assigned.

For the next five minutes, Cullen called for a thorough background check of Jacob Black. He requested a report of the utmost detail and intimate aspects of Black's life—from the inner workings of his business, down to the name of his fifth grade teacher. There was no facet of this man's existence that Cullen didn't want to know about. He would settle for nothing less than complete disclosure.

Satisfied that he had finalized his demand, I informatively interjected, "I will need at least three days. At most, I'll need a week—depending on what I uncover. Will this be sufficient?" I questioned, never usually needing a long expanse of time to conclude an assignment for this client.

With an exasperated voice, he agreed with the timeframe, "It will have to be enough. I can't afford for you to miss any pertinent information regarding Black," he finished, uncertainty enveloping his manner.

"I will miss nothing," I reassured. "And sir…one last question. How does this relate to your father?" So far, he had failed to mention the connection.

Silence.

"Sir?" _Had he heard my question? _I wondered.

Then finally—as though he were biting back the words, "Jacob Black…is Carlisle's son," he professed—the words lingered in the air like a repugnant odor.

_What? _

_That couldn't be! Impossible!_

Dread and confusion overwhelmed the rational part of my mind, as the meaning behind his last statement firmly set in. Disbelief in the mere possibility threatened to end the conversation before it continued. Squeezing the cell phone in a manic grip, I immediately jumped to my feet with panicked anxiety.

"His son?" I reconfirmed—straining to muffle the shock in my voice. "Black is…his son?" I repeated cautiously.

"That's right. And none of us knew about this until he showed up on Emmett's doorstep the other day, demanding to see Carlisle," he finished. Resentment brimmed over his explanation.

I was still in disbelief. _Carlisle had another son? But how? I would have known. Aro…would have known! How did we miss this? _I mentally ranted with unspoken fever.

Pacing the expanse of the room, I aimlessly searched for the missing piece of the puzzle from decades past. Then it hit me, _Of course! Billy Black's son…the little boy at the funeral…he really belonged to Carlisle!_ It was the only reasonable conclusion.

_Clever. Simply ingenious! It looks as if we all underestimated the abilities of Carlisle Cullen,_ I admired. _The Quileute elders must have had a hand in keeping the boy's identity a secret. _It was the only rationalization.

"Mr. Demetri? Are you still there?" his words—filled with concern—brought me back to the present conversation at hand.

Regaining my composure, I relaxed and sat back down in the chair, "My apologies Mr. Cullen, you were saying?" Now was not the time to lose focus. Cullen must never discover my historical involvement in his family's history.

Repeating himself, he continued, "It appears that my father may have had an 'indiscretion' at some point not long after my brother Emmett was born. This too, will need to be researched and made a part of your report. It seems our father had not been forthcoming about the details of his life prior to meeting my mother. In fact, I'm not even certain that he knew Jacob existed. But if he did, I'm counting on you to determine the reason why he kept his existence a secret for all these years."

_Because Black would have been killed…just like his mother,_ I wordlessly explained. "I will get you the answers that you need sir," I confirmed.

"Oh, and Mr. Demetri…your fee, this time is negotiable," he advised.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen," I acknowledged, before snapping the phone shut.

Firmly clasping the cell in my palm, I slammed it, and my fist, on top of the table. Inhaling deeply, I gradually released the air from my lungs and allowed the phone to roll from my hand. The silence of the room reached a deafening tenor as the memories of the past pummeled me with regrets of the present. "I knew this day would come," I gravely admitted aloud.

_Aro was right…the devil always makes house calls, _I remembered.

Resolved in what I now had to undertake, I rose from the table with determined purpose, "Fine then…" I submitted. "I can see now…that it's time…"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

The pandemonium, which threatened to erupt within me, was methodically lulled by the drone of the highway. In another hour, the sun would mercifully rise to mask the dismal revelations of the night. The long drive to Forks now furnished the time necessary to plan my next course of action, before my future deeds firmly set fate into motion.

_There's no going back now, _I soundlessly conceded, and purposefully reprogrammed the GPS system on the dashboard. Time had run out. And old debts were ready to be collected.

My nostrils flared in controlled exasperation as I further reflected on Cullen's disclosure of the night. _Jacob Black is Carlisle's son,_ I averred for the first time with mental acceptance.

_Did Aro know about the paternity of the child before killing his mother? If not, did Black's arrival in Seattle alert the Volturi to his existence? _The ramifications of this fact were unnerving.

_And how could I have been so careless?_ I regretfully scolded. _The answers were right in front of me the entire time. _Mentally drifting to the past, almond eyes glistening with unshed tears suddenly flooded my mind.

_The woman's face was so transparent. Each time she looked at the boy her expression was overpowered by love and inconsolable pain. It was obviously clear the child belonged to another man and not Billy Black! Why didn't I look closer? _I soundlessly reproached.

Mentally kicking myself, I accelerated slightly in an effort to relieve some of the pent up anxiety threatening to overwhelm me. With determined effort, I strained to regain my focus. Under no circumstance would I ever permit this familial oversight to disrupt my years of planning and preparation. Even more so, I couldn't allow my incompetence to break the vow I had made almost a lifetime ago—to protect Carlisle and his family against the forces of the Volturi. This vow was non-negotiable.

As I mulled over the facts swarming in my head, I questioned (for the hundredth time) what perverse twist of fate or act of unkindness could Carlisle have committed to intertwine his life and destiny with that of Aro's?

_Could Carlisle's luck really be that bad? _I considered. So far, the evidence was clear.

Evil, I knew, explicitly existed. But if there were a God, how could he allow a good man to come to such an end? What deity would let this measure of goodness be snuffed out so easily? And without as much as a backward glance?

This extreme injustice was the pivotal factor, which ultimately moved me to do what it seemed God had refused—to right that which was made wrong, by stopping what time had proven to be unstoppable—the full might of the Volturi empire.

Looking back I acknowledged that the initial half of my life was dedicated to only two causes. The first was _training_—not just to be a perfect assassin, but to be perfect in all that I did. Needless to say, all I did at that time was killing.

The second cause was _loyalty_—which was always unquestionable, never ending—and in the realm of the Volturi, it was considered divine. Loyalty was always given freely without any expectation of return. And it was only given to one person—_Aro_.

Ironically, the second half of my life was also dedicated to training and to the same man. There was only one exception—this time my dedication would conclude with Aro's demise…or my own. Either way, I would have fulfilled my vow and given a good man, and his family, a chance at a normal life. This seemed a fair exchange; since a 'normal' life was something that I'd vicariously lived through the experiences of the Cullen family—but only in the shadows.

_And it's been worth it,_ I acknowledged selfishly.

My real life had been anything but normal. From the day that I was "procured" by the Volturi as a child, I'd lived for only one purpose—to serve the will of Aro. For years, my only memories in this world were pain—pain that had been inflicted upon me and pain that I'd inflicted on others. That was my existence, at least, until that fated day I met Carlisle.

He was the first person in my abominable life, to truly make me understand that a man could choose to be good. And though the possibility of goodness was now many assassinations beyond my reach, I hung on to the idea that under different circumstances, I too could have had that choice. This knowledge—this hope—changed my life. And it was my vow to never allow Carlisle's goodness to be defeated by evil.

In my world, only evil could understand and defeat evil. This was a hard lesson that I had learned very early in life. Therefore, what Carlisle ultimately needed (I'd concluded) was a devil to protect him—and I was definitely the fiend for the job.

Sliding my left hand between the door and the cushion, I adjusted the automatic driver's seat into a more relaxed position. Sleep would be a luxury for me from now on, so I knew I needed to loosen up in order to maintain a physical and mental balance for the impending challenges ahead.

_That's better, _I mutely noted and stretched both legs as far as the car's distance would allow after setting the cruise control to 65mph.

Staring straight ahead at the empty highway, flashbacks of the most irritating kind surmounted me. _Victoria. _I mentally snapped_. That bitch!_

Being appointed as her personal bodyguard was the worst punishment the Volturi could have bestowed on me at that time in my life. On the other hand, Aro believed I had been anointed with the highest honor for someone of my status—being the guardian and ultimate protector of his only child.

_More like a nursemaid to the spawn of the devil,_ I seethed.

After all those years, the thoughts of Victoria still sickened me. The time spent as her foot servant and bodyguard were worse than any undertaking I'd ever been given. Yet, somehow I had come to begrudgingly admire the power and control that she continued to maintained from the grave.

_Even in death the past transgressions of that nut job still wreaks havoc on so many lives, _I wordlessly acknowledged—additionally surprised by how her purposeless life constantly commanded sway over others. Chaos was something she always found time to throw into the mix of things—and with this current dilemma it seemed that madness and mayhem were not far behind.

Yes…Victoria would have been thrilled to know that her death moved her inattentive father to avenge what little honor she may have had outside of the Volturi name. In spite of Carlisle's innocence in the whole affair, somehow Aro blamed him for her untimely departure from this life and for denying him the only blood heir to the Volturi thrown. Unfortunately for Carlisle, the entire situation was the perfect recipe for disaster.

_And like the good servant that I was, I practically served Carlisle up on a silver platter,_ I cringed—remembering how I boasted of him being the perfect sacrificial lamb.

_I was the one that ensured Aro would have everything he needed to ruin Carlisle's life and the lives of everyone involved,_ I berated with mental regret. Gritting my teeth, I reproachfully reflected on every action I had taken to assist Victoria and Aro in their plan to take Emmett from Carlisle and to annihilate him and anyone he would ever come to love.

Carlisle was definitely a dead man walking and at that time, he had no idea of the power he had married into. In fact, Aro's reach had no limits. Unbeknownst to Carlisle the Volturi found a way to overturn his divorce from Victoria on a 'technicality' that never existed until his lawyer (and the judge) had been sufficiently bribed—and gravely threatened. How convenient that Carlisle had emotionally moved on to another woman. Aro was more than pleased at that newly discovered piece of information.

It all seemed to be going in his favor. He had everything planned down to the most miniscule of details. Aro never approached any task unless it could be done with perfection. And this plan was even more detailed than any he had ever laid. It entailed making Carlisle appear to be a lascivious adulterer and Victoria the innocent wife who had her child unjustly snatched from her loving arms—only to have Emmett taken to the middle of nowhere to be raised without her motherly input.

Laughing to myself, I couldn't help but take pleasure in reliving the unraveling of Aro's 'so-called' well laid plan. _After all the preparation and money extended to take Emmett from Carlisle, I bet Aro never predicted that Victoria would overdose during one of her drug induced party binges,_ I mentally delighted.

Reflecting back on how close Aro came to having it all, a sense of pride washed over me in knowing that his failure was entirely due to my efforts to foil his plan.

_In fact, he has yet to suspect that I was the one who ensured that particular binge was her last_, I sadistically smirked, still pleased at the toxic drug combination I was able to put together right before she shot up.

_It's by far, my best work,_ I bragged to myself then turned off the next exit to gas up again.

Rubbing the handle of the gun clandestinely strapped to my side, I mentally drifted to a potential event that was conclusively destined to occur. On that day, all secrets would have been revealed and fate would be the author of a new future yet to be written.

My chest swelled with pleasure as hope began to set in. _I look forward to the day that Aro and I can discuss the last moments of his pathetic daughter's life,_ I optimistically prayed.

_That is, right before I end his…_


	10. Chapter 10 Awake

Chapter 10

**Awake**

**EPOV**

A new day…and the love of my existence slept through the night completely unaware of the pain she had caused. With the whisper of just one name—his name—my world was shattered and doubt entrenched itself within the depths of my soul. Old insecurities took root as I questioned whether I could ever truly be the man Bella deserved.

Watching her lying so sweetly tucked beneath the sheets, I knew she'd never believe I spent the better part of the night slowly picking myself apart as I stared—possessed—at my reflection in the mirror. Since Jacob's arrival, I hadn't been myself lately. The only way to describe my state of being was that I felt very "thin." The duty to my family, to Bella, had me going in so many directions I wasn't sure anymore if I were helping or hindering the situation.

Last night, making love to Bella so passionately made me feel like a whole person again. Sure, I'll admit that my thoughts were a bit erratic at times, but the depth of emotions that Bella stirred within me was more than even my body could contain. Past, present, and future were all tied into one existence when I was with her. Arguably, my mind had played tricks on me, but one thing was perfectly clear—there was no doubt…no question…that I couldn't live without this woman in my life.

Bella stirred slightly and I knew she would awaken soon. The gaps in the curtains provided just enough space for the arrival of morning to be revealed. As the flickers of sunlight shone across Bella's sleeping face, her eyes squinted as she deeply inhaled and gingerly stretched her body into an awakened position.

Gazing at her in this way, while she was so vulnerable, so unaware that she was being watched, was like witnessing the final strokes being placed on a painting by Picasso. Bella was such an elegant beauty. Her features, although not classic, were still striking just the same. I never tired of looking at her.

Every gesture, every expression that she made pleased me to no end. It was like watching the extension of the "me" that I desired to be every time I was near her. Whenever I was in her presence, I was unquestionably a better man—no, a better human being by virtue of her goodness. To be held in her loving arms comforted me into complete serenity. And it was there, in that space and time that I knew I was home.

"Ummmm…" she purred, the lust of the night still lingered in her voice. Throwing one arm over her face to partially veil her eyes from the morning sun, Bella sleepily examined the room with one eye.

"Edward?" she questioned, then ran her free arm across the pillow beside herself. Recognizing that she was in bed alone, Bella lazily propped her head up for a better view and visually scanned the expanse of the room for my presence.

Sitting on a chair in the far corner of the bedroom, lingering shadows of the night partially veiled my existence. Unmoving, I hesitated to reply as she continued, "What are you doing way over there by yourself? Come back to bed. It's still early," she insisted.

Ordinarily, I would have flung myself across the room into her welcoming arms at the slightest hint that she needed me, but self-deprecation stilled any exuberant response. "I couldn't sleep," was my excuse—which was better than admitting to eavesdropping on her the entire night to see if she would call out Jacob's name again.

Poking out her lip, she surprisingly took on a dejected expression, "You couldn't sleep?" she asked in a small voice. "Oh…I see. I guess my lovemaking wasn't as incredible as I'd hoped it would be," she said with a pout. "You don't even look tired."

Without warning, disbelief gradually shrouded my expression as the irrational meaning behind her words descended upon me. _Maybe Bella's not fully alert yet?_ I considered, leaning slightly forward to acquire a better look at her. Gazing into the depths of her ebony eyes I realized that lethargy wasn't the case.

_How could she possibly believe for one moment that making love to her was anything less than incredible? _I voicelessly complained—incredulous that thoughts so far reaching could ever enter her mind. Considering the display of emotions we both expressed last night, the idea of being 'underwhelmed' by her was beyond belief.

Frustration and irritation swelled within me as I reflected on why the passion we shared last night was suddenly at issue. _What is Bella really trying to say to me? Has Jacob's presence caused her to doubt my devotion to her…my want for her? _As I bit back the words, my muscles tensed from the need to punch a wall—or better yet, Jacob.

Adjusting the covers tightly around her svelte body, Bella's whole demeanor slumped with insecurity. Seeing her like that was completely unacceptable. As I struggled to find my voice again—that is, a voice which was calm and reassuring—venom dripped from the need to spew objections to Jacob's interference in our lives.

_Jacob…that bastard! Why was he really here?_ My impatience for the answer to that question was at an end. The only person that I could rely upon at this point was Mr. Demetri. If anyone could provide me with the resolution that I desperately needed was him.

One week. I could hold out for one more week, which would give Mr. Demetri the time he needed to complete his investigation. Right now, my mission was to keep Jacob away from Bella. I didn't miss the look he momentarily gave her at Newton's yesterday evening. He wanted her. It was written all over his face. No words were necessary—anyone watching could see he wanted her for himself.

_He'll try to take you…but I'll never give you up! _I promised. _Never!_

"Bella, sweetheart," I soothed, with a calmness I didn't feel. "Do you have any idea what you do to me? If you did, you'd never doubt my desire for you. The idea that you didn't satisfy me is just…well…absurd!"

"Then what is it Edward?" she pushed. "Why do you seem so…distant?"

It was difficult to maintain my gaze at her sulking face. The clairvoyant nature of Bella was sure to see straight through any alteration of the truth I might have considered telling. Rubbing the back of my neck, I quickly shifted my eyes to the floor before responding.

"It's nothing, really." I concealed. "I guess you could say that I'm still sorting out the events of last night…trying to make sense of it all," I explained, secrecy cloaking the real explanation. In my mind, this justification was not only partially true, but also the best response given the circumstances.

As I slowly looked across the room—confident that my account would satiate any lingering questions she might have had—I was surprised by the appearance of doubt clearly displayed by her demeanor.

Unsatisfied with my answer, she poked out her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes until they became slits of fiery onyx. Without a word, Bella slung the covers off her body, stood up then disappeared into the bathroom.

Completely astonished by her reaction, I called after her, "Bella?" Hearing no response, I called out for her again.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" My throat tightened as I realized a fight—rather, a "discussion"—was on the horizon, because of the issue I desperately wanted to avoid.

Following behind her departure, in an effort to make amends, I was stopped short when I tried to open the bathroom door. "Honey, why did you lock the door? Let me in," I insisted, while turning the knob back-and-forth.

After two more turns, I pressed my hand against the door and leaned in closer before speaking, "This is ridiculous Bella. Please, just talk to me," I pleaded.

"Edward, go away. I don't want to hear another word from you until you explain what's really going on. There's something you're hiding," she justly accused. "Why won't you tell me?"

Resting my forehead against the bathroom door, I sighed as I considered the ramifications of disclosing my covert actions of the night. Having Jacob investigated by Mr. Demetri was not something I was willing to explain just yet. Still, she deserved a solid reason.

"Please Bella, open the door. I'll tell you anything you want to hear." I appealed. "Honey, are you listening?"

I loathed being separated from her like this. Although Bella was on the other side of the door, she could have been a hundred miles away as far as I was concerned—the lock prevented me from touching her. She was upset. And as long as I remained barred from entering the room, I knew I couldn't bridge the distance between us.

"Right now…all I want to hear is the truth!" she demanded—the sound of her nervously fidgeting with an object echoed in the background.

Words poured effortlessly from her, as she continued her heartfelt rant, "Didn't my actions at Newton's last night prove that I can handle the unpleasant things that pop up in our lives? Why do you insist on hiding problems from me Edward? I wish you would just…"

_"Oops!_ Oh no…Crap!" she cursed.

My composure became instantly undone at the sound of glass shattering against the floor. "Bella! What happened? Are you alright?" Panic set in as I awaited her response.

"I'm fine Edward. I accidently knocked over the perfume bottle on the counter that's all," she censored, with edginess to her voice.

Knowing Bella's history of understating her injuries, I immediately challenged the status of her physical well-being. "What do you mean that's all? Did something else happen? Open up right now or I swear I'll break the door! I'm serious Bella…open up!" With forceful effort, I grabbed at the knob and began violently pushing on the door.

"Stop it Edward! Just give me another minute. Please!" she begged.

Resolved in my decision, I took one step backward then postured myself into a crouched position for attack, "No. I'm coming in now!" I warned.

Before I could shove my shoulder into the door, the lock clicked open, followed by the door itself. Bella was standing there trembling slightly with a towel draped around her small frame. Traces of blood dotted the towel's design and I watched as she casually hid her hand in an effort to discretely conceal her injury.

A rapid appraisal of the bathroom revealed more blood droplets were on the floor and on the sink. Glass fragments were everywhere and I noticed a few blood spots were smeared in crimson swirls due to her failed attempt to quickly clean them up. An overwhelming scent of lavender perfume hovered in the air.

"My God sweetheart!" I breathlessly exclaimed—worriedly taking in her damaged appearance. "You're hurt! Give me your hand. Let me see."

She tried to pull away slightly when I reached to grab her arm for a better inspection of the wound. "Edward, it's nothing…just a scratch," she reassured, unconvincingly.

I was outraged! Her injury was anything but a scratch!

_This is all my fault!_ I angrily berated myself.

When our eyes momentarily locked, my hand instinctually reached out to apologetically stroke the side of her flushed cheek. _I never should have allowed this to get out of hand. I'm such an idiot!_

In one motion, I effortlessly swept Bella up in my arms and marched decidedly through the bedroom and straight into the kitchen. Ignoring her protests at my so-called overreaction, I pulled out the dining room chair and gently placed her in the adjacent seat before grabbing the first-aid kit.

"A scratch? You call this gash a scratch? You'll be very lucky if you don't need stitches," I lectured, while carefully cleaning the glass out of her wound. "In fact, I think you need to be examined by a doctor. If I remember correctly, the Urgent Care center around the corner opens at eight."

"No!" she fearfully protested then despondently retracted her hand from my delicate ministrations.

"Edward, it's not _that_ bad. See…the bleeding has stopped and it feels better already," she tried to persuade. "The last thing I want is to spend my morning waiting for some doctor to tell me what I already know. Besides, we're going to your parent's house for dinner this afternoon. If it'll make you feel any better, I'll have Carlisle look at it. But it's really not that bad. I promise."

The more I insisted that Bella seek immediate medical treatment, the more her level of anxiety escalated. In the end, I decided it wasn't worth arguing with her about it—especially since she was right.

In this case, Carlisle would be the better person to examine her anyway. Not only could I trust his expertise, but I could personally follow up with him for a detailed account of her injury. Waiting a few more hours wouldn't be detrimental to the overall scheme of things—especially if it meant we'd both have peace of mind.

Giving in, I gently brushed my lips against her brow, "Alright sweetheart. We'll do it your way. Just understand that as soon as we get to Esme's house, I'm expecting you to let Carlisle look at your hand, Okay?"

"Fine," she curtly agreed—relief and surprise were transparent on Bella's now relaxed face.

Rubbing the length of her arm down to her wrist, I slowly reclaimed her injured hand. After squeezing a few drops of antibiotic ointment directly onto the injury, I completed the task by loosely bandaging the wound. Looking directly into Bella's eyes, I searched for any sign of discomfort that she may have tried to conceal. Finding none, I placed butterfly kisses against her knuckles and pulled her towel wrapped body against me, "There…that's better," I said, before nuzzling my lips close to her ear.

The need to hold Bella in my arms completely overpowered me; so I lifted up her slight frame and placed her softly in my lap. Somehow, I had to reconnect with Bella to let her know that she could trust me and that I, in turn, implicitly trusted her. Holding her in my arms this way was the quickest means of letting her feel all the things my words had failed to say.

"_Bella_…" I exhaled. Her name was like a caress against my lips. "God how I love you…I'm so sorry sweetheart. The last thing I wanted to do was upset you. Last night was so beautiful, so special, but it seems all I've done so far was mess everything up." An involuntary hitch reverberated in my voice as I tried to maintain control of the turmoil that I felt inside. Bella immediately reacted by throwing her arms tightly around my neck to console me.

"Oh Edward. Please don't be upset sweetheart," she soothed. "Everything's alright. Honest. I just overreacted. Last night was absolutely perfect. You couldn't have been more amazing if I'd have dreamed it up myself."

"But you were just so distant and detached when I woke up. I thought I'd disappointed you somehow. When you told me that your demeanor was due to lingering issues surrounding Carlisle, I knew you were holding something back," she complained. The accusation was finally clear—Bella thought I was lying to her.

With a sudden burst of passion she continued, "Edward, you're just so overprotective sometimes. It drives me crazy. How can I call myself your girlfriend if you won't let me be there for you…in every way that I should?" Bella's gaze desperately implored me to understand.

I knew she was torn. But I had to make her understand her importance and the roll that she played in my life. Without her, I was incomplete—soulless. _Didn't she know that already?_

"Bella, don't you realize that you've always been there for me, whenever I needed you? There's nothing more that I could ask of you. My life is complete, simply because you're in it. Whatever problems that arise always seem miniscule just because you're here…with me. You're more than I deserve. Don't you know that?"

"But Edward…"

"No buts, I'm serious Bella. My job is to protect you and to take care of you. How can you trust me to do that if you think I'll fall apart the minute life tosses a few challenges my way? You can't realistically believe that I'll bombard you with every issue that arises, which doesn't fall in my favor, do you? Sorry love, but I refuse to do it."

Pursing her lips in frustration, her body became rigid in my lap, "So, are you saying that you refuse to confide in me? Or is it that you don't find me capable enough to handle these 'life challenges' with you?" she quarreled.

Bella had backed me into a corner. How was I going to answer her question without hurting her feelings again? My jaw clenched as I bit back the response that impulsively formed on my lips.

Seeing me struggle to respond, her face twisted with an epiphany that suddenly came to her mind, "Edward, what if something…rather, some issue existed that was going to hurt me, or at least cause some unnecessary struggle for me if I tried to overcome it by myself? Would you want me to tell you about it?"

The idea of that happening immediately brought out the protector in me, "Of course I would! And if you refused, I'd do everything within my means to find out what it was and then I'd take care of it myself!"

Bella was incensed. "That's a double standard. Why is it okay for you to do that, but you won't give me the same consideration?"

I could see where this conversation was going. There was no way I was going to allow Bella to get upset again because of my stupidity. It was time to give in.

"You're right. It _would_ be a double standard if I concealed something from you that could harm me. I should never do that, especially since it would directly affect you too," I reasoned. "But sweetheart, there are some things that I don't talk about simply because I need time to figure them out first. Not because I'm trying to keep you in the dark. Today just happened to be one of those times, that's all."

"So it's true then. You _are_ keeping something from me," she accused. "What is it Edward?"

"Bella…it's nothing…"

"Edward, tell me. Please!" she insisted. There was no way she would drop the issue now. Bella would not be denied.

"Okay…okay…you win," I wearily submitted.

Hugging her tightly in defeat, I laid my head against her chest and outlined the length of her collarbone with my finger before speaking, "Last night, you were so tired. I knew you weren't awake when it happened," I began.

"When what happened, Edward? What are you talking about?" Bella leaned away from me just far enough to place her hands against my face, so that she could gaze directly at my expression.

"Jacob," I said flatly, then returned a piercing gaze in her direction.

"What about Jacob?" A look of confusion jutted through her eyes.

"You called out his name in your sleep," I charged. The words came out as an accusation, not as a fact. Immediately, I regretted telling her.

"I did what?" Bella looked mortified.

"Right after we made love you fell asleep. Not long after that, you called out Jacob's name." My mouth suddenly went dry. The insinuated meaning behind my words left me numb.

"Ed…Edward, I don't know what to say. I mean…I don't know _what_ I said. I don't remember!" She looked panicked, as if I had caught her in the arms of another man and was about to exact my revenge. I could feel her body quiver in my lap as I watched her search the depths of her mind for an explanation.

Guilt washed over me as I witnessed my confession transform into an emotional slap in the face of our relationship. "Sshhh…sweetheart, it's alright. Don't get upset—I'm not." I tried to reassure her by stroking her back and bare shoulders. I watched her eyes begin to glisten from pent up stress and embarrassment.

"Bella, please don't worry about it. I knew you were asleep and didn't realize what you were saying. That's why I didn't want to bring it up," I assured.

Bella was so taken aback by what I had just revealed she actually turned three different shades of red. I could feel her heart palpitating erratically beneath my touch. Finally, a look of understanding shone across her face as she digested the meaning behind my earlier diversions of the morning.

"Oh Edward…I can only imagine what you must think of me right now. I'm so sorry honey." Embarrassed, she hung her head so low I was tempted to lift it up. Without warning, Bella wiggled out of my lap and headed straight for the bedroom.

"Wait, sweetheart…don't leave," I pleaded, while following close behind her. There was no way I was going to allow her to lock herself in the bathroom again. Next time, the door would definitely come down.

"Bella. Just talk to me. What are you thinking?" I pressed.

Pushing the bathroom door completely open, she tiptoed around the broken shards of glass and stood before the linen closet. Reaching in, Bella pulled out a hand brush and dust pan. Readjusting her towel, she carefully got down on her hands and knees and began sweeping up the mess.

With an obsessed determination, she focused on identifying every crystal piece before answering, "I'm thinking I'd better clean up this disaster before we both end up on Carlisle's examining table," she explained without looking up. "Seriously, I'm such a klutz. I don't know how you put up with me."

Doggedly sweeping the floor, Bella mentally continued a silent tirade against herself. It was obvious her disparagement had nothing to do with the glass on the floor, but everything to do with my admission. She was beating herself up and I was determined to stop her.

"Honey, just relax…let me do that. You'll open up your wound again," I reasoned then reached down and took the brush out of her hand.

"It's okay sweetheart, I've got it." Wrapping my arm around her waist, while maintaining a firm grip on the brush, I helped Bella rise to a standing position. She immediately threw herself into my arms and started crying.

With her face buried in my chest, she tried to apologize again, but the words spewed out as a fragmented regret, "I'm…so…stupid!" she choked. "How c…could I make the most passionate love of my life with you and then call out the name of another man?" The question was self-disparaging and rhetorical. "Can't you see…it doesn't matter that I was asleep. It was such a hurtful thing to do!"

I could tell she was beyond all rationale. As she choked back the tears, I automatically tightened my grip around her. I needed to react fast if I intended to get this situation under control.

Without saying a word, I tenderly guided Bella out of the bathroom and directed her to sit down on the bed beside me. Pulling her into my embrace, I kissed the top of her fringed covered forehead. I had to make her relax, so I leaned back across the bed and gently pulled her on top of me. Without protest, Bella immediately tucked her head into the crook of my neck, inhaled deeply and sprawled across my chest.

Feeling the weight of her on top of my body instantly triggered an immediate arousal that I knew I had to suppress. Bella needed me and now was not the time to cater to my libido. As I methodically rubbed her back and arms, I could feel the pent up tension release after I firmly massaged my fingers into her shoulders.

"Just relax my love. Everything will be alright. I won't let anything come between us Bella," I pledged.

"You're mine, remember. And I love you more than my own life." Somehow, 'love' was too weak to define the depth of feelings I had for her. But for now, it would have to do.

Very soon, after all the madness had subsided, I would profess my eternal commitment and claim Bella as my own for all time. Nothing on earth or in heaven would ever be able to take her from me on that day. Until then, I would accept these brief moments where I could comfort and protect her the way she deserved.

And nothing, not even an apparition of Jacob that creeps in the night, would ever sway my resolve to make her mine…forever.


End file.
